The Dragon of Hogwarts
by Kassandra Ramsey
Summary: Seventh year fic- Blaise and Hermione are Head Boy and Girl. He saves her from Malfoy on the train, and proceeds to become her friend. However, he has a terrible secret, and Hermione wants to know what it is. And can he really keep her safe from the Death
1. Default Chapter

AN: Okay, so you reviewers have finally worn me down. I haven't written anything in years, but I am going to finish this thing if it's the last thing I do. So, I started re-reading it and am so embarrassed by all of the errors. I have decided to re-do the whole thing. I'll be posting a chapter every day or so until I reach chapter 14. I am mainly correcting errors, but some chapters will have some new scenes or re-done scenes. When I reach chapter 14, I'll need a beta. Please let me know if you are interested.

And this is completly AU after 4th year. Remember, I started this before we were even sure that Blaise was a boy, much less what he looked like.

Title: The Dragon of Hogwarts

Author: Kassandra Ramsey

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own nothing, not even the computer I'm typing on!

Pairings: Blaise Zabini/Hermione Granger

Summary: Seventh year fic- Blaise and Hermione are Head Boy and Girl. He saves her from Malfoy on the train, and proceeds to become her friend. However, he has a terrible secret, and Hermione wants to know what it is. And can he really keep her safe from the Death Eaters? What about from himself?

This story is dedicated to all of my wonderful reviewers who never gave up hope that I would keep my word and finish. And to those who are reading for the first time I hope that you find it worth your while…

The Dragon of Hogwarts

Chapter One: Seventh Year Begins

Hermione watched her dad and the cab driver heave her trunk into the waiting taxi as she cuddled close to the warm bundle in her arms. She would be leaving for her last year of Hogwarts soon and for the first time in seven years she did not want to go.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. She had been named Head Girl and was very excited about taking on her new responsibilities, but this summer had been wonderful. She was not ready for it to end. Originally she had planned to spend most of the summer holiday with Harry and Ron at Grimmauld Place. That idea had been dismissed the moment she met her new baby brother.

Born the last week of May, Jason Alan Granger had become Hermione's favorite person in the world. She loved being with him, and her mother had been grateful for the help, not to mention the free babysitting.

She kissed his forehead and he stirred but did not awaken.

Hermione reluctantly handed him to her mother, and kissed her cheek.

"I will be home for Christmas. Don't let him get too big while I'm gone. Oh, and don't forget to send me pictures with the wizarding camera I bought for you," she reminded her.

Mrs. Granger smiled indulgently at her daughter.

"Don't worry, Hermione. Everything will be fine. You just concentrate on school. You'll be back home again before you know it."

Her father hugged her tight.

"I'll send plenty of pictures," he promised.

She swallowed in an effort to fight back tears as she climbed into the waiting car.

"Bye! I love you!"

She turned around and waved at them through the back window until the car turned a corner and she could no longer see them.

Hermione settled back in her seat and crossed her arms across her chest.

"They just had to wait 'till my last year of school to give me a brother," she muttered.

* * *

Hermione reached Kings Cross thirty minutes early, and had her pick of compartments on the Hogwarts Express.

After stowing her trunk, she settled in her seat and pulled out a photo album.

Crookshanks meowed pitifully from his carrier at her side.

"Sorry Crooks, I can't let you out until the train starts moving," she said absently as she smiled down at the pictures of herself and her brother playing with his blocks.

At two minutes 'till eleven, the compartment door slid open and Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna filed in.

Hermione stood and hugged Harry and Ron, suddenly realizing how much she had missed them.

"How was your summer?" Harry asked her.

Hermione beamed at him and brandished her photo album.

Her face was flushed with sisterly pride as Ginny and Luna oo-ed, and ahh-ed over the pictures.

The train started moving and the group settled down for the long ride to school. It would be the last ride to school for her, Harry, and Ron.

About twenty minutes later the door to their compartment slid opened. She looked up to see Blaise Zabini standing in the doorway.

"What do you want?" Ron snarled.

Blaise looked taken aback at the open hostility.

"Hermione," he answered.

Ginny giggled.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, blushing.

The tall Slytherin had really filled out over summer and had become quite handsome. His gleaming black hair was smoothed back from his face, and his midnight blue eyes held a mischievous sparkle.

He dramatically rolled those sparkling eyes at them, and pointed to the Head Boy badge pinned to his robes.

"As the Heads, we're supposed to lead the prefect meeting in the front compartment, remember?"

"Oh, right," Hermione said, getting to her feet and handing Crookshanks to Luna.

"I'll be back in a little while," she told the group and followed Blaise up the aisle.

They were almost there when someone snatched Hermione's arm and dragged her into a compartment.

Her wand was taken from her, and she was roughly shoved down onto the floor. She whimpered as she landed on her twisted arm, feeling the bone give.

"Well, what do we have here? Look here! That idiot Bumblemore, made the mudblood Head Girl," Draco drawled leering down at her.

"Malfoy, open the door!" She heard Blaise's muffled call from the other side of the door.

"Malfoy, I think you broke her arm," Goyle pointed out.

A flicker of fear crossed the blonde's face as he leaned down and pressed against her now swollen limb.

The pain intensified so much that Hermione blacked out.

When she came to Blaise was effortlessly carrying her to the front compartment. Now, Hermione wasn't overweight, but she knew she wasn't light.

Her head was tucked under his chin, and she cradled her injured arm to her chest.

"I smell smoke," Hermione murmured.

He glanced down at her sharply, but didn't say anything.

When they reached the compartment he gently sat her down in the seat, not even breathing hard.

"I'll be right back. Try not to move your arm," he said, and quickly headed back the way he had come.

Hermione assessed her arm. She'd never broken a bone before. She remembered when Ron had broken his leg in third year and had said it was very painful. She also remembered the time when Harry had broken his arm and how Professor Lockhart had made all of the bones in his arm disappear.

It was this memory that stopped her from trying to heal it herself. That and the fact that she didn't have her wand back.

When Blaise returned, the Witch who sold treats off of her trolley cart accompanied him.

She bent down and examined Hermione's arm.

"Oh, my dear. It looks broken. I don't dare try to heal it myself, but I can help with the pain."

She handed Hermione a small potion's vial.

"Drink it up; it should last long enough to get you to the nurse."

Blaise thanked the witch who went back to her duties.

Hermione struggled to remove the stopper from the vial, one-handed causing Blaise to chuckle.

She turned her pleading gaze to him, and he took pity on her.

"Does it hurt real badly?" He asked handing her the now opened vial.

"Yes," she muttered, and dutifully drank the potion down.

She sputtered and coughed as the liquid burned a fiery trail down the back of her throat.

It didn't take long for the potion to start taking effect. One minute she was biting back tears of pain, and the next she felt great.

Blaise was staring at her, expectantly. She started making silly faces at him, and then dissolved into giggles. He looked worried as the prefects began filing in.

"Oh, they're so cute!" She pointed at them giggling.

Blaise gently pulled her to her feet, and out into the hallway.

He started leading her toward the compartment where her friends were waiting, but she kept stumbling, and he was afraid she'd hurt her arm even more. So, he picked her up again, trying to ignore how good she felt in his arms. Her good arm slid up his chest to his neck, and her hand started ruffling his hair.

He let out an inhuman growl of pleasure at the feel of her fingers massaging his scalp.

He stopped walking and looked down at her, his cheeks flushing pink with embarrassment, but Hermione just giggled again.

They finally reached the compartment, and Blaise slid the door back with his knee.

All talking stopped as he carefully placed her in an empty seat.

Ron and Harry were on their feet instantly.

"What happened? What did you do to her?" Ron demanded.

Blaise gave him a look as he tried to smooth his hair back down.

"I didn't do anything to her. Malfoy got too rough, and broke her arm."

Ron and Harry started out the door, but Blaise pushed them back with surprising strength.

"I took care of it," he said.

The Gryffindor boys looked skeptical, but did not attempt to get by him again.

While they had been talking, Hermione had reached over and grabbed her photo album from her bag.

She started crying as she gazed at the pictures.

"Did the pain potion wear off already?" Blaise asked her, worried.

His concern did not go unnoticed by Ginny and Luna, who shared a knowing look.

Hermione raised her big, brown, tear-filled eyes to his.

"I miss him," she wailed.

"Who?" Blaise asked, leaning over to see the pictures.

"My brother, Jason. He's so cute! Do you think he's cute?" She asked him, anxiously.

"Um, sure I do," he said, hoping to appease her.

She sat back with her pictures, and he turned to look at the others.

"The pain potion has made her a little loopy. I trust you will see that she gets to the nurse as soon as we get there?"

Harry nodded.

"Good. I have to go. If Malfoy gives you any trouble let me know," he told them, and then left for the prefect meeting.

"C'mon, Harry, we're going ferret hunting," Ron said as soon as Blaise was out of earshot.

* * *

When Harry and Ron returned to the compartment a little while later, they looked a bit bewildered.

Hermione had been dozing, but the door opening had woken her up.

"What happened?" She asked, her mouth felt hot and thick.

"That's what we wanted to ask you. Zabini said that Malfoy broke your arm," Harry said.

"It hurts," she said, gingerly touching it.

"Try not to mess with it, we'll be at school soon," Ginny said.

"What do you remember?" Harry pressed.

"I was walking down the hall behind Blaise, when either Goyle or Crabbe pulled me into a compartment…"

"Zabini let them hurt you?" Ron demanded.

"No, they magically sealed the door. I could hear him trying to get in. Anyway, Malfoy pushed me to the floor, and I landed wrong on my arm. I don't really remember much after that, but I did get the impression that breaking my arm had been an accident," she commented thoughtfully.

Harry and Ron shared a skeptical look.

"The next thing I remember was Blaise carrying me to the front compartment, and then giving me the pain potion. I don't remember much after that."

"Did you guys get Malfoy?" Ginny asked Harry and Ron.

They exchanged an odd glance.

"Well, when we found him, he was… You see he had… on his arm…" Harry tried to explain.

"He'd been burnt by something. It's pretty bad, he'll have to go to the nurse too," Ron said.

Ginny gasped.

"Do you think Blaise Zabini did it?" She demanded.

"He did say that he'd taken care of it," Luna reminded them, and Ron jumped because he'd forgotten that she was there.

Everyone turned to look at Hermione, who just looked stunned.

"When he was carrying me, he smelt like smoke," she said.

"What should we do?"

"I'll talk to Professor McGonagall tonight," Hermione said, resolutely.

* * *

Hours later, Hermione was lying in her new bed. Her arm had been healed, but it was very weak and would have to be in a sling for the next two days.

She had watched from behind the curtain in the infirmary as Poppy tried to heal the burn on Draco's arm. The nurse hadn't been very successful, but apparently Draco would rather live with the burn than tell anybody how it had happened.

Before he'd left, Draco walked over to Hermione and muttered, "I'm sorry I broke your arm."

He'd fled before she could respond. Not that she would have had any idea what to say…

As Head Girl, Hermione had her own room. Unfortunately she had to share a common room with the Head Boy. Before retiring to her room for the night, Hermione had stopped by Professor McGonagall's office to tell her about Blaise.

"Yes Miss Granger, Mr. Zabini has already informed me of what transpired on the train. You needn't worry about a thing."

"But Professor, I have to share a dorm with him! Are you sure he won't try to hurt me?" She had asked, anxiously.

Professor McGonagall had given her a reassuring smile.

"No, he won't hurt you."

Changing for bed had been very difficult with the sling, but she'd managed.

Now, she was trying to fall asleep, but her stomach kept growling. She'd barely had a bite at dinner as she'd been so preoccupied with Head duties.

Just as she was trying to decide if she felt up to a trip to the kitchens, there was a knock at her door.

She opened her mouth to ask who it was, but Blaise opened the door and waved his wand to light the lamps.

Hermione bit back a giggle at the sight of his bright zebra striped pajama bottoms. He also wore a dark green t-shirt that stretched nicely over his broad chest.

"Nice," he commented, looking around.

"You're not allowed in here!" She cried, when she finally found her voice.

"Technically, but there's no spell to keep me out," he grinned at her, and it was then she noticed the tray of sandwiches in his hand.

He flopped down at the foot of her bed, and put the tray in between them.

He picked up a sandwich, and held it out to her, but she just glared at him.

"I know you're hungry, I could hear your stomach all the way in my room," he teased, waving the sandwich in front of her face.

In the end hunger won out, and Hermione was soon happily munching away.

By the time she'd finished one sandwich, he'd had four.

"Did you not eat either?" She asked him.

"I have a very high metabolism. I have to eat a lot," he said, and went to fetch them some water from her bathroom.

"I'm sorry about missing the prefect meeting," she said as he handed her a glass of water.

"That's okay, I'll just let you do the next one," he said, starting on a fifth sandwich.

She watched him quietly for a minute.

"What did you do to Malfoy?"

He stopped eating and looked at her seriously.

"That was an accident."

He sounded sincere, so she nodded at him.

"He, apologized to me in the hospital wing. It was strange," she confided.

Blaise looked pleased.

"You let me know if he tries anything again, but I don't think he will."

Hermione yawned, and Blaise took the hint.

"You need to rest. Classes start in the morning," he said, getting rid of the dinner mess with a flick of his wand.

He started for the door.

"Blaise?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for taking care of me today," she said, shyly.

He stunned her by walking back over to the bed. He leaned down and gave her a gentle hug, being careful of her arm.

She almost coughed at the smell of his breath.

"Smoking is a very bad habit," she said as he left.

He turned around in the doorway.

"I don't… right, I'll try to quit. Night."

End Chapter 1

A/N: I'll try to have the next chapter up tomorrow night. It starts out with a new scene that I had forgotten to put in last time. And remember, reviews are what keep me going.

Love,

Kassandra


	2. Chapter 2

The Dragon of Hogwarts

Chapter Two: Friends?

"Hermione!"

Blaise's voice sounded far away. She tried to respond, but couldn't seem to move her mouth. Her eyelids felt impossibly heavy. Her entire body suddenly started bouncing up and down on the mattress.

She let out a groan, and the movement stopped.

"Hermione? Are you awake?"

She was heavy with sleep, but managed another groan that sounded like a yes.

Prying her eyes open. she saw Blaise staring down at her worriedly.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She asked, sitting up in bed.

"I couldn't wake you. It scar-… er… Well, you're awake now. Let me know when you're ready to go to breakfast." He stammered and quickly left the room.

Hermione sat in bed and stared at the closed door. Had she missed something?

Hermione emerged from her room a little while later. Blaise was stretched out on the window seat in the common room. His dark eyes stared longingly at the clear blue sky, and he was sipping from a mug of coffee.

"Good morning," Hermione said, sitting in a nearby chair to put on her shoes.

Her arm didn't hurt her anymore, but it was really weak. It had taken twice as long to get ready this morning. Thank Merlin she could use magic; if she'd had to get ready the muggle way she'd have been in the bathroom all day.

"Morning," Blaise said, turning to watch her struggle into her shoes.

Once she'd gotten them on her feet she sat back to rest a minute, before leaning over to tie them.

She quickly got frustrated, and was about to take her arm out of the sling when he stopped her.

He knelt down in front of her and began tying the shoes.

"You can ask me for help, you know," he commented.

"Why? Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked him.

He shrugged and stood up.

"I guess I feel responsible for what happened. Do you not want me to be nice to you?" he asked, only half-teasing.

She blushed.

"It's just strange, accepting help from someone who isn't my friend," she admitted.

He stared at her considering for a minute.

"Then, let's be friends," he said, finally.

"Well, I… Do you mean that?" She asked.

"Sure, why not? I mean were practically living together, we might as well try to get along."

Now it was her turn to study him.

"And, you're not worried about what your Slytherin friends will think?"

He frowned.

"I don't think I really have any Slytherin friends, and if I did, I probably don't after yesterday."

"What exactly did you do yesterday?"

He walked back into his room, and came back with his school bag.

"We'd better leave now if you want any breakfast," he said.

"Blaise…"

"Not yet, Hermione. I'll tell you some other time," he said, pulling her to her feet by her good arm.

She felt a small flash of fear at the strength in the fingers that were wrapped around her arm, but quickly pushed it aside.

Blaise wouldn't hurt her; McGonagall had said so. He seemed sincere about wanting to be friends, so Hermione decided to give him a chance. She gave him a small smile, and he took her bag from her, throwing it over his shoulder along with his own.

He walked beside her all the way to the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. She could feel several eyes on her and Blaise as she carefully sat on the bench.

She glanced up at him, and saw that he looked just as relaxed and nonchalant as ever. He handed her, her bag.

"See you in Potion's," he said, and walked off to the Slytherin table.

Hermione watched as he sat down, knowing that his housemates would tease him. But no one said a thing to him. No one even looked at him.

"Earth to Hermione," Ron said, waving a hand in front of her face.

"What?" She blinked.

"Why are you staring at Zabini?" Harry asked her.

"Oh, I was worried that the Slytherins would give him a hard time for walking me here, but they seem to be ignoring him."

The two boys followed her gaze across the room.

The students that Blaise had sat down between quickly finished their breakfast and fled so that he was alone.

He pulled out a book and flipped through it absently as he sipped coffee and took bites of his food.

He didn't seem to be aware that he was being ignored by everyone.

"Look at Malfoy," Harry said, pointing to the other end of the table.

Hermione looked over at him, and was surprised to see the fearful looks that Draco and his friends were giving Blaise.

"Hermione, what did Blaise do to them?" Ron demanded.

She shook her head.

"He said he wasn't ready to tell me yet."

"Did you go to McGonagall?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded.

"She said Blaise told her what happened, and that I shouldn't worry about it. She also said that he wouldn't hurt me."

Harry glanced at her sharply.

"Do you think he'd try to hurt you?"

"No, but he's strong. A lot stronger than anyone I've ever met."

"Maybe we can get him to arm wrestle Hagrid," Ron said, grinning.

Harry and Hermione looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

"What? Malfoy's so scared of him; he's nearly wetting himself. That makes him my new hero," the red head explained, then resumed eating.

Harry snickered and Hermione rolled her eyes.

Maybe she was making too big a deal out of this.

She glanced at Blaise again, and he winked at her. She gave him a strained smile, and then turned to her plate.

* * *

The day went by rather quickly, and Hermione was surprised by all of the homework she was given, even though it was only the first day of school. It was NEWT year though, so she should have expected it.

Her last class of the day was NEWT Potions.

Blaise was waiting for her in the hall outside of her Charms class when it let out.

"Hi," he said, in his carefree manner as he took her heavy bag from her and threw it over his shoulder.

She blushed at the looks they were getting, and murmured, "Thank you."

As they walked to the dungeons together, Hermione noticed that he smelled like smoke again. She inhaled deeply through her nose, and realized that it didn't smell like cigarette smoke. It was more like the smoke from an outside fire. After contemplating it for a few minutes, she decided that she liked it.

They entered the Potion's classroom, and she saw Harry, the only other Gryffindor in the class, was already sitting with Susan Bones.

Harry had shocked everyone, including himself by scoring an Outstanding in Potions on his OWLs. Professor McGonagall had all but forced him to take Potions, determined to turn him into an auror.

Snape had given Harry a hard time at first, but it was rumored that McGonagall had 'spoken' with him, and the deliberate antagonizing stopped. Now, Snape basically ignored Harry. He ignored Hermione too, but she knew that he kept all of the potions she made. There had been several times last year when he assigned her extra healing potions. Hermione knew that he was giving her potions to Poppy, because he simply didn't want to make them himself, but she didn't mind. This would be the closest to a compliment that Hermione would ever get from him.

Blaise noticed Harry with Susan, and led Hermione to an empty station.

"Do you mind being partners? Or is there someone else you'd rather work with?" Blaise asked her, looking as if he could care less what she decided.

"This is fine," she said, sliding onto a stool.

The smile he gave her was disarming and unexpected. She automatically returned it.

Snape came in then, in his usual flurry of swirling black robes and the lesson began.

When the Professor noticed Blaise sitting next to her his eyes widened ever so slightly.

"The person sitting beside you will be your partner for the year, if you wish to change, do so now," he said, looking pointedly at Blaise.

The Head Boy just smiled absently at Snape then turned his attention to the other side of the room where a few Ravenclaws were switching seats with each other.

Professor Snape gave her a confused frown, but then launched back into his lesson.

Soon, the class was over Blaise once again picked up her bag.

"Mr. Zabini? Don't forget to come by and get your potion tonight," Snape said, giving Hermione an odd look.

"Yes sir," Blaise answered politely, though he looked a little annoyed.

He told her a little about the new DADA teacher as they walked back to their dorm.

"I won't have her until Wednesday," she said

"Want to start on some homework?" He asked when they walked in.

Hermione started laughing.

"What?"

"I'm sorry! It's just that no one has ever asked me that before. It's always me making the guys do their homework," she explained.

He smiled.

"Well?"

Hermione considered it then shook her head.

"No, I'm really tired. I think I'll take a quick nap before dinner," she told him.

"Okay, I'll see you later," she heard him say as she walked into her room and shut the door.

Was it just her, or did he actually sound disappointed.

* * *

Hermione was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

She was flying. The night sky shone with thousands of sparkling stars. It was amazing, and that surprised her. She'd flown on broomsticks, and a few different kinds of flying animals, but she'd always been scared out of her mind.

She looked down and noticed that she wasn't flying herself; she was actually riding on something. It was a huge beast, with gray leathery skin.

Hermione gasped and sat up in bed.

"A dragon?" She whispered, and looked into the startled brown eyes of Ginny Weasley.

"Dragon?" Ginny asked looking behind her.

Hermione shook her head and yawned.

"No, it was a dream. What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I just came to see how you were doing. You missed dinner, you know."

Hermione stomach growled and she looked at the clock. It was half passed eight; she'd been asleep for four hours.

Ginny giggled.

"Don't worry. Blaise just went down to the kitchens to get some food."

"So, you came to check on me? Where are Harry and Ron?"

"I don't think they're comfortable with Blaise here, but don't worry they'll come around. He's really a nice guy, and it's obvious that he cares about you," Ginny said, giving her a sly look.

"He's only helping me because he feels guilty about what happened on the train," Hermione protested with a frown.

"I think you're wrong about that. Anyway, I came to warn you that there are several rumors going around about the two of you."

"What rumors?"

"Well, I overheard Pansy telling Terry that Blaise told her that he jumped you in bed this morning," Ginny said, grinning.

Hermione's jaw dropped, again.

"That's not what I said," Blaise announced coming into the room carrying two covered plates.

Hermione turned her shocked gaze to him, and Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"I said I jumped _on_ her bed this morning, and I wasn't talking to Pansy, I was talking to Professor Snape," he said setting the plates on her bed.

"Why would you tell Snape that?" Hermione asked.

"I was worried about you. It was very difficult to wake you up this morning, and I was just asking him if that could be a side effect of the potion you took on the train yesterday," he explained.

"It's close to curfew so I better get back," Ginny said and left.

Blaise climbed up on her bed and sat cross-legged facing her.

"Hungry?" he asked, handing her a plate.

She nodded wordlessly, and watched him dig into his own food.

Finally, she sighed.

"What are we going to do," she asked him.

He looked up at her confused.

"About what?"

"About the rumor! Blaise, people think we're sleeping together!"

"So?"

"So? That's all you have to say?" She demanded.

He gave an exasperated sigh and put down his plate.

"We're not sleeping together," he said as if speaking to a three-year-old.

"I know that!" She practically yelled.

"We could if you wanted to though," he said, waggling his eyebrows at her.

Her eyes widened and she absently tried to smooth down her bed-tousled curls.

He laughed.

"You're fighting a losing battle there."

Hermione glared at him and opened her mouth to tell him off, but he held up a hand to stop her.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but you really are a lot of fun to tease."

He gave her a smile that instantly melted her anger, and she actually laughed at herself a little.

"My friends always tell me that I over-think things," she admitted, picking up the other plate of food.

He nodded slightly, and they ate in silence for a few minutes.

"But what if someone says something to us about it?" she asked, suddenly anxious again.

Blaise shrugged.

"Say whatever you want. Deny it, ignore them, or tell them we went at like rabbits all night. I don't care," he answered.

Hermione was stunned again, and he sighed.

"Look, you really need to stop worrying about what other people think. Life becomes a lot more fun. Who cares if they think we're together? I've heard some very naughty rumors about you, Potter, and Weasley since we were first years."

"Did you believe them?"

"Does it matter if I did?"

She thought about that.

"No, I guess it really doesn't," she admitted, finally.

* * *

The next couple of months flew by for Hermione, as she was so busy. From NEWT homework to prefect meetings and nightly rounds, she barely had time to stop and think.

Thank Merlin for Blaise. She almost always did her homework in their dorm because it was so much quieter than the Gryffindor common room. He was always there, studying, reviewing with her, and playing around with her. He said it was his job as her friend to make sure she laughed at least once a day.

Of course their friendship caused several rumors to blossom, but she refused to let it bother her. In fact when she and Blaise had been approached by Pansy about their 'relationship', she simply told the female Slytherin that Blaise was very enthusiastic in her bed.

Blaise had snickered all the way back to their dorm.

For the past few days, he'd been moody. The same thing had happened last month and she teased him saying it was his time of the month. He'd gotten a faraway look in his eyes at that.

She was now heading back to their dorm from the kitchen carrying a bowl of soup.

He'd missed class yesterday, and today, because he wasn't feeling well. In fact, she hadn't seen him in two days, and had missed his company. Her brow furrowed as it suddenly occurred to her that the last time she had gone a few days without seeing him was this same time the month before. The same thing had happened then, and he'd missed three days of classes.

She hesitantly knocked on his door.

"Blaise? I brought you something to eat. Blaise?"

She got no answer.

Slowly, she pushed open the door feeling guilty, but that was ludicrous as Blaise always barged in on her.

The dark room was empty and Hermione could see the curtains blowing in the wind from the open window. She shivered and went to shut it when she saw something the made her drop the bowl of soup.

She gasped at the sound of a lonely howl as the clouds moved aside to reveal the full moon.

* * *

"I think Zabini might be a werewolf," Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron the next night during dinner.

They looked at her curiously.

"Really? What makes you think that?" Harry asked.

Ron glanced over his shoulder to the Slytherin table trying to catch a glimpse of the Head Boy, but he wasn't there.

"He disappears for the three nights of the full moon, every month. And he sits out of classes during the day, saying he's sick," she said.

"Hey, how do you know he's gone at night? You're not allowed in his room!" Ron demanded.

She gave him a look.

"I was curious about him missing classes, and I thought he was really sick, so I brought him some soup last night. His room was empty. I went and told Professor McGonagall, and she said not to worry about it. I also overheard Snape reminding Blaise to take his potion. "

Harry nodded slowly.

"Yeah that sounds like lycanthropy to me," he said.

"Poor bloke," Ron commented then went back to his food.

"I'd like to talk to him about it. He doesn't seem to really have any friends besides me and with a secret like that it might be nice to confide in someone," she said, thoughtfully.

"Maybe you should owl Lupin," Harry suggested.

"No, I don't want to tell anyone. I mean it's not really any of my business is it?"

"You told us," Ron said around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"Ew, Ron! Swallow first. I tell you two everything, and I know that you won't tell anyone else," Hermione said, giving them a significant look.

"Of course we won't," Harry promised.

End Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry about the non-chapter. Everything is fixed now. Thanks for the reviews, and I'll have the next chapter up soon.

-Kassandra


	3. Chapter 3

The Dragon of Hogwarts

Chapter 3: Love Burns

Hermione jerked awake in her chair at the sound of the dorm door opening. She glanced out the window, and could see the clouds edged in pink and gold. Sunrise.

She turned her attention back to the doorway and could see Blaise's shadowed figure in the semi-darkness as he quietly closed the door.

He hadn't noticed her yet so she lit the lanterns with a wave of her wand, and gasped when the light hit his form.

It was definitely, Blaise, but he looked different. The first thing she noticed was his robes, which were hanging on his body in shreds. His skin had a decidedly green tint to it, and his black hair was much longer. But the most obvious difference was his eyes. Rich, deep, greenish gold orbs stared at her instead of the midnight blue ones she was used to.

"Blaise?" She asked, her eyes wide with astonishment.

He grinned at her, his lips pulling back to reveal razor sharp elongated teeth.

She gasped in fear and the smile left his face.

She heard him sigh as he turned and stumbled into his room, leaving the door open.

Hermione had a nice little argument with herself as she cautiously approached his door.

Blaise had promised not to hurt her, and McGonagall had vouched for him. That should be good enough for her, right?

She slowly entered his room, and saw that he was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor, and stuffing himself on a pile of food that had been left there for him. His shredded robes had been tossed into a corner, so he was only wearing a pair of worn out jeans.

Blaise's eyes followed her as she crossed in front of him, but he didn't say anything as he continued to eat. She sat on his bed to watch.

Hermione had suspected him of being a werewolf, and the only one who she could compare his behavior too was Lupin. But Blaise wasn't acting the same as her old professor.

After Lupin's transformations, he always immediately reverted back to his human form and passed out in exhaustion. The change itself was very painful for him. Blaise, on the other hand, didn't appear to be in any pain at all. And he was changing back slowly. Even as she watched, his long hair seemed to withdraw back into his head. Also, Remus Lupin was usually covered in scratches and bites. Blaise's skin was clear.

Hermione suddenly found herself kneeling beside him with her hand outstretched to touch his green tinted skin without realizing that she'd moved from the bed.

Blaise's eyes were now a swirling mix of blue, black, green, and gold as he fixed them to her warily. He didn't stop shoving food into his mouth, though. And when her hand touched the smooth, cool skin of his back he leaned into it.

He stopped eating and grinned at her again. She was relieved to see his teeth were nowhere near as sharp as they had been a few minutes ago, but they were still a little long.

"Scratch?" his rumbling voice was deep, and she could feel the vibrations in her belly.

"What?" she asked him.

"Itches," he said, pointing to his back with an elongated fingernail.

It finally occurred to her that he wanted his back scratched.

She gave a mental shrug, and lightly began running her nails over the smooth skin, afraid of hurting him.

"Harder," he said, leaning back toward her.

She obliged, and suddenly a loud humming noise like that of a muggle dishwasher erupted from him.

She jumped away, startled.

Blaise didn't seem to notice her distress, and leaned back even further in an effort to get her to keep scratching.

Hesitantly, she resumed scratching and the same noise started again, but this time she didn't stop.

If he'd been a cat, she'd have said he was purring. There was a look of serene pleasure on his face, so she was able to determine that he was not threatening her by that noise.

Maybe he had a different kind of lycanthropy?

He leaned back more, and she began scooting backwards, unsure of what he was doing. Suddenly her back hit the side of the bed, and he lay back against her resting his head on her shoulder.

"Blaise?" She asked, her voice mixed with fear and more than a little arousal.

She was very conscious of his naked back pressing into her breasts, and had stopped scratching his back.

He turned his head and blinked at her, his eyes almost completely back to their original color.

He took hold of her hand and placed it on his upper arm, rubbing it up and down. She obliged, and scratched his upper arms. He started his 'purring' again and she slowly scratched down both of his arms, and to his hands.

Hermione jumped when she felt him nuzzle her neck, his breath very hot on her bare skin.

She stopped scratching him and tried to pull away, but he trapped her wrists with his hands.

Hermione only struggled for a second; it was useless, as he was so much stronger than she was.

She turned her head to look at him, and gasped at seeing his face so close to hers. Their lips were less than an inch away from touching.

She pulled back a little, blushing furiously.

"Please don't go," he murmured, sounding like himself again.

He released her wrists.

A voice in her mind was screaming at her to get away, but she couldn't make herself. Not when he'd begged her to stay.

When Hermione didn't leave, Blaise lay back again with his head on her shoulder.

Hermione tentatively lowered her arms to his again, and just held him.

"Are you in pain?" She asked, softly.

"No, I'm just tired," he whispered, nuzzling her neck again.

"Does your skin still itch?"

"No, it's back to normal now."

"And, this happens to you every month?"

"Yes."

"Blaise, are you a werewolf?"

He snorted, and she winced as his hot breath burned the skin of her neck.

"No," he said, almost laughing.

"Then what-"

He lifted a finger to her lips.

"I'm not ready to tell you. Can you just trust me, for now?" He asked, pleadingly.

Hermione thought about it for a moment.

"You will tell me though, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay," she said, allowing her body to relax.

It wasn't long before he fell asleep; the breath from his soft snores was so hot she was afraid it might singe her hair.

Hermione carefully pulled herself out from under him, and winced when he fell over, his head hitting the stone floor with a loud crack.

Blaise didn't even stir. His breaths remained deep and even. Hermione grabbed her wand from where she'd left it on the bed, and then went to examine his head.

She brushed back his hair so she could see his scalp, but even with a brightly-lit wand she was unable to see a mark.

Hermione shrugged and yawned, realizing that she hadn't got much sleep either.

She levitated him with her wand, and tucked him into bed. Blaise slept through the whole thing, his snores getting louder.

Hermione left his room, shutting the door behind her, and came face to face with Professor Snape.

"And just what is the Head Girl doing sneaking out of the Head Boy's room at the crack of dawn?" He asked with a sneer.

"Blaise is ill, I was checking on him," she said, stubbornly keeping her chin raised.

Snape narrowed his eyes at her, and she dropped her gaze from his, afraid he might use legilimency on her.

"And just what sort of malady do you believe he is afflicted with?"

"I don't know, Professor Snape. I'm not a healer," she said, honestly.

He glared at her.

"Is there something I can help you with, Professor?"

He allowed a few moments of tense silence to pass before answering.

"As you said, Mr. Zabini is ill. I came to check on him."

"Do you know what's wrong with him?" She asked, anxiously.

He gave her an evil smirk.

"I'm no healer, Miss Granger," he said sarcastically and then moved behind her to enter Blaise's room.

"Jerk," Hermione muttered under her breath once the door was shut.

She gathered up the essays she'd been working on earlier, and went to bed.

Thank Merlin today was Saturday, and she could sleep in.

Hermione slipped into her pajamas, and crawled into her four poster bed. She was exhausted, but ended up tossing and turning for almost an hour before finally slipping into an agitated sleep.

* * *

It was lunchtime before Hermione made an appearance in the Great Hall. She'd looked in on Blaise before coming down, but he was still fast asleep.

"Where've you been?" Ron asked as she slipped into a seat across from him and Harry.

"I stayed up late studying so I decided to sleep in this morning," she explained, pouring herself a glass of pumpkin juice. It wasn't really a lie.

"Studying on a Friday night?" Harry asked in feigned shock.

She flicked a grape at him, and he caught it in his mouth.

"There's only six months 'till the NEWTs," Ron said in his best 'Hermione' interpretation, which was actually pretty good.

The three friends dissolved into giggles.

Hermione turned her head to say hi to Ginny, and Harry gasped.

"What is it?" She asked him.

Ron snickered.

"If you were studying all night, how did you get that hickey?" He asked pointing to the burn on her neck.

Hermione quickly covered it with her hand and blushed.

"It's not a hickey!" She protested.

"No, it looks like a burn," Harry said, seriously.

Ron stopped laughing and reached across the table to push her hand out of the way.

"It looks like the burn Malfoy has on his arm! Did Zabini do this?" Ron demanded jumping to his feet.

"Ron, please sit down and lower your voice," Hermione hissed, dangerously.

He obeyed automatically but his face was still bunched in anger.

"Blaise is…" she stopped upon noticing a few curious stares in their direction.

She got to her feet.

"Let's go for stroll," she said, and walked out the door not bothering to look back and make sure they were following.

They ended up in the Room of Requirement, which now resembled the Gryffindor common room.

They settled themselves into three chairs close to the fire, and Hermione told them an edited version of what had happened that morning.

"So, he says he's not a werewolf?" Harry asked.

"No. And he thought the idea was funny."

"And, he breathed on you as you were leaning over to tuck him in? That's how he burned you?" Ron asked.

Hermione nodded, hoping that they would think her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the fire.

"Maybe he can breathe fire. Do you think he's some kind of were-dragon?" Ron wondered aloud.

Hermione shrugged.

"The thought crossed my mind, but I really don't have enough evidence," she admitted.

"Well, it seems to me that burning you was an accident, so he probably won't try to hurt you. He may not have even been trying to hurt Malfoy," Harry commented.

"You need to be careful, Hermione. Even if he wouldn't hurt you on purpose, he seems to be having a fair few accidents lately," Ron told her.

"Is there such a thing as a were-dragon?" Harry asked.

"Not that I could find in the library. I even looked in the restricted section," she told them.

"Maybe we could ask Hagrid," Harry suggested.

"No. Whatever Blaise's condition is, the teachers all know about it. Besides, Blaise promised he'd tell me all about. He's just not ready yet."

End Chapter 3

A/N: And that's the last one I'll post this weekend. Look for more throughout the week.

Also- to the reviewer who wanted to know how I could get 600 reviews for two chapters, I'm just that good. ;-) Kidding! This story had 12 or 13 chapters at one point and when I decided to re-do the whole thing, I had to keep all of the old reviews in order for everyone to retain their story alerts for it. If you really want to know how many reviews I've gotten, just subtract 570.

-Kassandra


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Rules of Friendship

Hermione was sitting on the floor of her bedroom late that night, diligently making study charts for herself, Harry, and Ron, when Blaise suddenly came in and made himself comfortable beside her.

"Why are you in here and not in the common room?" He asked, sipping a thermos of coffee.

She highlighted something on Harry's chart before turning her attention to him.

"Change of scenery. How are you feeling?" She asked, stretching.

"Jittery. I can't seem to sit still," he admitted.

She looked pointedly at the coffee in his hands, and he laughed.

"Yeah, this might have something to do with it," he said, taking another sip.

He picked up one of her study charts and looked it over.

"Do you make these for Potter and Weasley every year?"

"Usually. I did for the OWLs and I had always planned on doing it for the NEWTs as well. I don't know if they'll use them or not, but at least I won't feel guilty for any bad grades they might make."

She could feel his heavy gaze on her as he digested what she'd said.

"Why do you spend so much of your time trying to help them, when they might not even want your help?" He asked, finally.

"Because that's what friends do," she said simply, and resumed working on her project.

"So, you'd do it for me too?"

"I would if you needed me to, which you don't."

Blaise had the second highest grades in their year, under Hermione of course.

"But if I needed something else?"

She quit writing again, and turned her full attention to him.

"If it was in my power to give to you, I would. What's with all the questions?"

He looked away.

"I don't know. I've never really had a friend before, and I'm just trying to understand what's expected of me."

Hermione giggled.

"There aren't any rules to define friendship; you kind of make them up as you go."

"And, is there anything you need of me?" He asked.

"At the moment? I'd like you to explain your, um, special circumstances."

She held up a hand to stop his protests.

"When you're ready to tell me. I can wait," she said with a reassuring smile.

She could feel him looking at her again as she went back to the charts. It was very difficult to concentrate.

Her heavy hair was being extra rebellious today. After having to push it off of the parchment for the fourteenth time, she finally pulled a clip from the bag at her side, and twisted her hair up in it. She could never leave it up like that for very long or she'd get a massive headache.

She heard Blaise's breath catch in his throat, and turned to look at him questioningly.

He was gazing at the burn on her neck, and she covered it with her hand self-consciously.

He gently, but firmly pulled her hand away from her neck so that he could study the mark.

Blaise's fingers hovered over the burn, but did not touch it.

"I did that. I'm sorry," he said.

"It's not bad, I'm sure it'll be gone by tomorrow," she tried to reassure him.

"No, it won't."

"Well, then I'll go see Poppy. She can heal anything."

"Not this."

She felt a flicker of apprehension at his words.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm the only one who can heal the wounds I cause," he said, matter-of-factly.

"You can heal?"

"Only the wounds I cause."

Hermione stared at him for a minute, warily.

"Am I to assume that you don't use a wand to do this healing?"

"No," he answered, almost leering.

Well, it was the moment of truth. Hermione either trusted him as a friend, or she didn't.

"Okay," she said, scooting closer and offering him her neck. "Heal it."

She saw a flash of surprise cross his face, almost immediately replaced by determination.

One of his hands grabbed the top of her shoulder while the other curled around the back of her neck. Her pulse was racing as she felt him stretch her neck, knowing all to well how easily he could snap it.

As Blaise lowered his head, Hermione suddenly wondered if this was what being bitten by a vampire was like.

When his tongue touched her neck, all thoughts fled from her mind.

White-hot pleasure shot through her as he licked her skin, and she gasped at the intensity of it.

Blaise let out one of his animalistic growls, and pulled her even closer to him. She ended up sitting on his lap with her legs wrapped around his waist, her hands clutching the backs of his arms.

The licks stopped, and he started sucking on her neck, and again the word 'vampire' flitted through her mind.

When he finally pulled back from her, they were both breathing hard.

Hermione blushed when she realized how intimately they were sitting. He released her, and she scrambled to her feet. She slowly walked to the floor length mirror on the wall, and studied the place on her neck where the burn had been.

The only thing she could see was a small purple mark.

"It really looks like a hickey now," she commented.

Blaise walked up behind her, standing very close, but not touching.

"It is a hickey now," he said, his voice very deep.

She turned to face him and was surprised to see that his eyes were starting to change color.

"Blaise?" She asked, uncertainly.

"Shh," he whispered, and then lowered his mouth to hers.

She forced herself to pull away from him.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't do this," she whispered.

"But you want to, I can feel it," he said following as she walked backwards across the room.

"Friends don't do things like this," she was pleading with him, but he kept walking closer.

"There aren't any rules to define friendship. You make them up as you go," he whispered her words from earlier back to her.

Her back hit the wall, and when he kissed her this time she didn't pull away.

He slowly coaxed her mouth open, and slipped his tongue past her lips. The unusual heat of his mouth against hers brought reality crashing down around her and she ripped her mouth from his.

Hermione rested her forehead against his chest, while she tried to catch her breath.

He didn't try to kiss her again, but he kept hold of her waist.

"Okay, fine. We make our own rules. No more kisses until you tell me what happens to you at the full moon."

He blinked a couple of times and his eyes returned to their normal color.

"You're right. I'm sorry, you should know what you're getting into," he said.

Hermione glanced at the clock on her wall.

"It's past curfew."

He reluctantly let go of her, and stepped back.

"Goodnight, Hermione," he whispered, and left her room.

She stared after him, still having trouble processing everything that had happened.

Hermione felt a small smile cross her lips as she climbed into bed. Blaise Zabini liked her. Really liked her.

She desperately wanted to like him back, but she really didn't know him. As long as he kept that part of himself a secret from her, she could never fall in love with him.

Hermione giggled to herself as she realized that that was what she wanted; to fall in love and have a baby as adorable as her brother.

The idea kind of shocked her at first. The other girls in her dorm had whispered about romance, and sex all her years here at school, but Hermione had wanted to graduate before getting serious about a boy.

Was it Blaise that caused her change of heart, or her brother? She wasn't sure.

* * *

The next couple of weeks flew by, and midterms came and went. Soon, it was the night before the Christmas holidays, and Hermione was packing to leave.

Tonight was also the first night of the full moon, and Blaise had already left.

She sighed as she thought about her friend.

Ever since that night when he'd healed her burn, that's all they had been. Friends.

No more kisses or suggestive glances. At first, conversation had been a little strained, but it wasn't long before homework and Head Duties discussions had them talking again.

Hermione packed the last of her things and crawled into bed. It was only eight o'clock, but she wanted to be up early. Blaise would be back at dawn, and she wanted to spend a little time with him before they'd be apart for two weeks.

She dreamed of riding the dragon again, but this time she was holding her brother. They soared through starry night sky; Hermione feeling more alive than she ever had before.

She woke up just before dawn and hurriedly got dressed.

Blaise had already entered his room by the time she emerged from hers, and she opened his door, entering without hesitation.

Hermione had startled him by her sudden appearance, and he'd growled loudly at her.

But she'd just laughed, and he'd cocked his head to the side, gold-green eyes flashing at her in the darkness. He spread his arms out as if guarding his pile of food from her.

She reached out a hand to his shoulder, but he caught it in his own and began sniffing it.

Apparently she'd passed inspection, because he was soon yanking her hand toward his back.

"Scratch," he commanded, in a deep, rumbling voice that made her shudder.

Hermione smirked at him, but complied laughing again as the purring started.

When Blaise was done eating, he stood and grabbing her hand hauled her to her feet.

"What are you…" Hermione began, but stopped as she was flung over his shoulder.

He tossed her on the bed, and then crawled on after her.

For a split second, Hermione was afraid of him, but she just kept reminding herself that Blaise would never hurt her. She really did believe that.

She didn't struggle as he pulled her down beside him, and wrapped his arms and legs around her.

He started nuzzle her neck, but she firmly pushed him back so she could see his eyes.

They were now a swirl of blue, yellow, and green.

"Don't burn me again," she said to him, and he nodded.

He buried his face in her neck, and though his breath was warm, it did not burn.

Hermione forced herself to relax, and soon Blaise was snoring into her neck. She allowed herself to bask in the physical closeness she hadn't had in a month, before extracting herself.

"Happy Christmas, Blaise," she said, kissing his forehead.

* * *

Hermione returned to her room to find her trunk had already vanished. She grabbed her book bag, which she would carry on the train, and turned to leave. Suddenly an eagle owl swooped in through the open door.

It dropped a thick envelope on her bed, and then flew back out.

Curious, Hermione opened it and found herself staring at a picture of her brother. It was a wizarding picture, and he was crying. The man holding him was wearing a Death Eater's robes and mask.

She flipped the picture over, and gasped at the writing on the back.

_Miss Granger,_

_If you ever wish to see your brother again you will tear the envelope in half. This will activate a port key and bring you to him. You will have three minutes to act once the owl has left, or your muggle baby brother will die._

It was written in blood.

Hermione didn't take the time to think things through. She picked up the envelope and ripped it in two. There was a bright flash, and she vanished from the room. The picture fluttered to the floor.

End Chapter 4

A/N- Thanks so much for the reviews. Sorry for the cliff-hanger, I promise to post the next chapter tomorrow night.

-Kassandra


	5. Chapter 5

The Dragon of Hogwarts

Chapter 5: Forgetting

Hermione felt very drowsy as she trudged up the steps toward her house. Her thoughts were muddled and she wondered distractedly if she might be coming down with something.

Shrugging, she pushed open the front door.

"Mum, Dad! I'm home!" She called and headed straight for the nursery.

"Hi honey! Did you have fun with the Weasely's?" Her dad asked as he stepped out into the hall.

"Weasley's? Oh, yeah, sure did," she answered, distractedly as her eyes searched for the small form of her brother with a desperation that she couldn't explain.

She stepped past her father and walked into the nursery. It was empty.

A strange sense of loss gripped her, and she could feel tears burning her eyes.

"I have to admit, I was surprised to get your letter saying that you weren't coming straight home," Hermione's mother commented as she entered the room.

Hermione felt a relief so intense that she nearly passed out when she saw her seven-month-old brother crawling after her mother on the floor.

"Jason!" She exclaimed, as she scooped him up into her arms.

She held the warm, sweet smelling body close as a tear slipped from her eye.

* * *

A few hours later, she was sipping a cup of tea while sitting in the rocking chair watching her brother sleep. Her parents had taken the opportunity to go out to dinner for the first time since Hermione had left for school. 

She knew something was wrong, she just couldn't remember what it was.

Hermione remembered leaving Blaise's room a little after dawn, four days ago. But she couldn't remember what happened after that.

A voice in her head was telling her that she'd spent a few days with Harry and Ron at Grimmauld Place, but that didn't make any sense to her.

She didn't remember staying there. She didn't even remember getting on the train.

It was strange. She felt like the time had passed, but she just couldn't remember it.

She sighed, and then smiled down at Jason. He'd gotten so big!

She suddenly frowned. When she'd arrived at her parent's house, she'd been afraid he wouldn't be here, but that was absurd! Wasn't it?

She was suddenly distracted by an itching sensation on her left wrist.

Hermione gasped and dropped her teacup onto the floor at the sight of the scabbed over slash on the wrist. There was a matching one on the right wrist.

Why couldn't she remember how this had happened?

After cleaning up the spilt tea, Hermione grabbed a baby monitor and went into her bathroom down the hall.

She slowly began to strip; not believing all of the healing cuts and bruises that she was seeing.

Hermione gingerly pressed her hand against a rather large bruise on her upper arm, and was surprised to feel no pain.

It was probably a spell. Whoever had done this to her, had not wanted her to discover it right away.

Throwing on a bathrobe, Hermione headed to her room and pulled her wand out of her trunk.

"_Finite Incantatem _!" She cried, aiming the wand at herself.

That had been a huge mistake.

A wave of pain washed over her, and she blacked out.

Twenty minutes later, she awoke to the sound of Jason's wails on the baby monitor. She struggled to her hands and knees, and crawled into the nursery.

Hermione couldn't stand up, much less hold a baby. She ended up leaning against the crib, and sticking a hand through the bars to stroke his back. Luckily, she was able to get him back to sleep by singing Christmas carols for the next ten minutes.

She crawled back to her room, and rummaged through her trunk for her Charms' textbook. It didn't take long to find the spell that vanished pain, as she had already read about it. However, they had not yet gone over it in class, and she had never cast it before.

Her aching body convinced her that she had to do something. It took four attempts before she could feel it working. It wasn't as good as whoever had cast it on her before, but it would have to do.

The Grandfather clock in the den chimed nine and she realized that her parents would be home any minute.

She quickly went back to the bathroom to redress, and was startled at her reflection.

Whoever had cast the pain vanishing charm on her body had also put a glamour on her face.

There was a very large bruise under her right eye, and three rings of bruises around her neck like some morbid necklace.

The sound of her parents' car pulling into the driveway startled her into action. She hurriedly redressed, and then grabbed her wand. A quick glamour hid the ugly bruises again, and Hermione was thankful that she was eighteen and allowed to do magic at home.

* * *

Hermione was extremely busy helping her mum for the rest of the week. It seemed as if everyone remotely related to her had come to meet the newest Granger and eat up all of their food. 

It was almost a relief to go back to school, although it had been very difficult to leave Jason again. The next time she'd see him, he'd be over a year old.

The train platform was crowded, as she searched for Harry and Ron.

She saw Blaise talking with Malfoy, and Goyle off to the side. They instantly quit talking when they saw her look at them.

She waved at Blaise, and he nodded back. All three Slytherins were giving her a very odd look.

Hermione was about to go over and demand to know what was going on, when Ron literally ran into her.

Harry and Ginny laughed at the two of them sprawled on the ground.

"Sorry, Hermione," Ron said, blushing as he helped her to her feet.

"That's okay," she said, unable to hide her wince of pain.

"Are you okay? You look a little, uh, pale," Harry asked her, quietly.

"No, I'm not. I…" the train whistle cut her off.

"I'll tell you on the train!" She yelled.

"What?!" Ron called back over the noise.

Hermione rolled her eyes and motioned for them to follow her to the train.

They didn't have to worry about getting an empty compartment, as there were a lot less students riding the train than back in September.

Once settled, Harry firmly shut the door and cast a silencing charm so that anyone passing by wouldn't overhear them.

"How did you get home for Christmas? You weren't on the train." Ginny asked.

"I've been asking myself the same question for the past week," Hermione said irritably.

"You don't know?" Harry asked.

"No. I remember kis-, uh, saying goodbye to Blaise, then everything gets all muddled, and the next thing I remember is arriving at my house in a taxi cab, four days later."

They all stared at her in stunned silence.

"That's not all. I had this idea in my head that I had spent that missing time with you guys at Grimmauld Place, and my mum mentioned receiving a letter from me saying that I was doing so."

"You weren't with us, Hermione. I don't know where you were," Ron told her.

"Do you think that you were obliviated?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. I've never been obliviated before so I have nothing to compare this to."

Harry was staring at her, intently, and she got the impression that he was trying to read her mind.

"What else?" He asked.

Hermione fidgeted, and broke eye contact.

Sighing, she pulled her sweater over her head.

Harry and Ron gaped at her, and Ginny let out a squeak of surprise.

Hermione calmly reached for her wand, as if it was an ordinary thing to only be wearing jeans and a bra in front of her friends.

"_Glamour Finite!_" she said, pointing the wand at herself.

She had not wanted to end the pain vanishing spell.

Her three friends were now gaping at her for a different reason.

Harry paled, his jaw clenching in rage. Ron flushed a dark red-purple, his hands curling into fists.

With tears in her eyes, Ginny pulled Hermione into a hug.

It was that small act of compassion that broke the dam.

Hermione let Ginny hold her as she cried out all of the pain and frustration she'd been hiding all week.

When the tears finally stopped, someone handed her a handkerchief, and she cleaned her face up as best as she could.

"Thank you, I needed that," she admitted to Ginny, who smiled and patted her on the back.

The boys turned away as Ginny helped her redress and Hermione leaned back in her seat with a sigh.

She felt like a weight had been removed from her shoulders.

"You need to tell Dumbledore," Harry said, breaking the silence that had descended on the small group.

Hermione nodded wearily.

"I have to meet with him, Snape, and McGonagall before classes tomorrow anyway. I'll just tell them then."

"But won't Blaise be with you?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not keeping this from him," she said.

"But Hermione," Ron began.

"He's a Slytherin," Harry spat.

Hermione glared at him.

"He did not have anything to do with this," she said, her voice low and dangerous.

Ron and Ginny quickly backed away, sensing a storm, but Harry stood up to her.

"I think you need to ask yourself just how well you really know that guy," he said.

"He's my friend, Harry. I trust him!"

"Has he told you his secret yet?" Ron asked, stepping in between his two best friends while Ginny listened, curiously.

Hermione paled.

"No," she whispered.

"Then maybe you should hold on to some of your secrets until he's ready to share his."

"But..." Harry began, but Ron turned on him.

"Look mate, I'm ready to kill someone too, but we need to figure out what's going on first."

"Hermione, you need to be careful around Zabini, and keep us informed about him," Ron said to her and she nodded.

"Harry, let's wait and see what Dumbledore says before we do anything, okay?"

Harry nodded, but he didn't look happy.

Hermione sat back down in her seat, and winced. The spell was wearing off again.

Harry sat down beside her, and she could see the guilt in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I just can't stand seeing people get hurt because of me," he apologized.

"What makes you think this happened because of you?" Ginny asked.

"When is it not about me?"

"It's okay Harry, just a hazard of having a great friend," she said, giving his hand a squeeze.

He looked at her uncertainly.

"It's worth it," she whispered, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

She felt Ron move to the seat on her other side, and grabbed his hand.

Hermione quickly drifted off, feeling safe between her two most trusted friends.

* * *

Hermione felt like she'd barely closed her eyes before they woke her up. The train was pulling into Hogsmeade station. 

Ron looked at her apologetically.

"We let you sleep as long as we could."

"Thanks."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Harry asked, as Hermione redid her glamour.

"Actually there is," she said, and taught him the pain vanishing spell.

Hermione may have been smarter than Harry, but he was definitely more powerful.

She sighed in contentment as the four settled into the carriage that would take them back to the castle.

Soon, they were waking her up again, and she decided to skip dinner and go straight to bed.

Blaise was waiting for her in the common room when she entered.

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" She asked, sinking into a chair next to him.

"Yes. Did you?"

"I can't remember," she said, watching him carefully.

Blaise flinched.

He knew. The bastard knew, and he wasn't going to tell her a thing.

She carefully got to her feet.

"Well, I'm off to bed," she announced, trying desperately to keep the tears from coming.

"Hermione, the…"

She held up a hand.

"I'm sorry, Blaise, but I'm too tired to talk to you right now."

"I was just going to say that our meeting has been rescheduled to tomorrow after dinner," he said.

"Oh. Good night."

"Hermione, wait!"

She stopped walking, but didn't turn around.

"Can I have a hug?" He asked, hopefully.

She turned to glare at him.

"What? Friends hug!" He said defensively.

"Oh, are we still friends? I wasn't sure, because friends don't betray each other," she spat.

His head jerked back like she'd slapped him, but he didn't ask her what she meant. He already knew.

She could see it in his eyes.

Hermione ran into her room and slammed the door.

She jumped into bed, and cried herself to sleep.

End Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Sorry for yet another cliffhanger. I'm evil. Next chapter will be up tomorrow night. And for those reviewers that think you've read this before, you probably have. I had 13 or so chapters up and decided to take them all down to fix the errors and repost. Until tomorrow,

Kassandra


	6. Chapter 6

The Dragon of Hogwarts

Chapter 6: Questions, Answers, and more Questions

Blaise ambushed her the next morning as she was trying to leave for breakfast.

"I didn't betray you," he said, picking up the conversation from the night before.

"Then tell me what happened," she said, flatly.

He stared at her for a moment.

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"I took an oath."

Hermione's head started to hurt. Life was a lot less complicated when all she had to worry about were trolls, and giant snakes.

She shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Are you responsible for what happened to me?"

He didn't answer right away, and she felt a righteous anger sweep over her.

She pulled off her cloak, and started unbuttoning the shirt underneath.

Blaise swallowed hard as he watched her hands.

She threw the shirt to the ground, and pulled out her wand.

"_Finite Incantatum!"_

Hermione winced, realizing that she had taken off the pain vanishing spell as well as the glamour. But she wanted him to see it all. Needed him to understand how betrayed she felt.

At the sight of her battered body, Blaise eyes instantly turned gold and he pulled her to him. His hands were gentle, yet firm as he lightly ran his them over her wounds.

He picked her up, and carried her into her bedroom, setting her on her feet in front of the mirror.

"Watch in the mirror," he commanded in his deep, rumbling voice.

Hermione watched as he lowered his head to a particularly nasty looking gash over her right breast.

He pulled the cup of her bra down, almost all the way to the nipple before his tongue came out and bathed the wound with warmth.

If she hadn't been in so much pain, she would have been very aroused. She still was, a little.

After a few minutes, he pulled back and went to stand behind her.

"Look at it," he said.

Hermione stared at the gash. It looked exactly the same as it had before he'd licked it.

"I can't heal wounds that I don't cause."

He turned her around to face him.

"I would never hurt you, Hermione. I swear it," his eyes were returning to their rightful color.

Hermione raised a hand to his face.

"I want to believe you. I want to trust you, but if you don't tell me anything, then how can I?" She whispered.

He nodded.

"You're right. It's time we talked about a lot of things."

"Tonight, after the staff meeting…" she began.

"No, before the meeting. Let's skip Potions," he said.

"I am not skipping Potions! How dare you suggest such a thing?" She demanded.

Blaise laughed, holding up his hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay! No skipping classes. Maybe we can have lunch somewhere? I don't know if here is a good idea. I don't want anyone to over hear us," he explained glancing at a garden painting hanging on the wall. Just because there wasn't a person painted in a picture, didn't mean they couldn't visit. And there could always be a painted someone hiding just out of frame.

Hermione thought about that for a moment.

"The Room of Requirement. We can have lunch there."

He nodded in agreement.

Hermione put the glamour back on herself, but decided to wait and let Harry do the pain spell.

She blushed as Blaise helped her put her shirt back on, his long fingers dipping below the waistband of her skirt as he tucked it in.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was turning you on," he commented with a knowing smirk.

"Well, it's a good thing you know better then," she answered back, then winced as his hand brushed a sensitive bruise.

"Sorry," he whispered, then offered her his arm.

He walked very slowly with her, down to the Great Hall, and she was grateful.

He eased her down into her seat, and nodded at Harry and Ron who were staring at him with blatant distrust.

"I'll see you at lunch," he said, and left for the Slytherin table.

Harry and Ron started firing questions at her, but she held up her hands to stop them.

"I showed him the bruises, and I accidentally removed the pain spell. Harry, would you mind?"

Harry immediately pulled out his wand, and cast the spell.

A dreamy smile crossed Hermione's face as the pain swiftly left her.

"You're very good at that," she told him, and he blushed.

"So, what did Zabini say?" Ron asked.

"He said he'd never hurt me," she answered honestly.

"Was he surprised to see you hurt?" Harry demanded.

"No."

"Son of a bitch!" Harry yelled jumping to his feet.

Ron grabbed him, and pulled him back down.

"Not yet," Ron hissed at him.

"He knows what happened, but I don't think he caused it. He said he couldn't tell me about it because of an oath he took. We're having lunch together in the Room of Requirement to talk things over," she said in a rush, hoping to placate her friends.

"We're going with you," Harry said, firmly.

"Harry, listen to me! Blaise is my friend, not yours. I need to know what he knows, and if you're there, he won't tell me," she said, pleadingly.

"We'll use the invisibility cloak…"

"NO! I will not betray him like that. As soon as you guys are finished with lunch, I want you waiting for me outside the door. If and only if I have not come out by the time the lunch hour is over, break down the door."

It took several more minutes of pleading, and even a couple of threats to get the two to finally agree to her plans.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hermione opened the door to the Room of Requirement, and quickly shut it back, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that no one saw.

She'd done the required pacing in front of the wall, thinking of all of the things they might need, but apparently the room had picked up on a different train of thought. The room had been small, with a romantic fireplace and a huge bed draped in red satin.

"We need to talk, not shag!" She hissed at the closed door.

She jumped at the sound of footsteps, and turned to see Blaise approaching.

"Maybe we should do this back in our room," she said, reaching for his arm.

He gave her a strange look and brushed passed her.

She shut her eyes in embarrassment as he opened the door.

"What are you doing? We don't have a lot of time you know," he said irritably sticking his head out of the door.

Cautiously, Hermione opened her eyes and saw that two cozy armchairs had replaced the bed.

Sighing in relief, she quickly followed him into the room.

Once the door was shut, they both put up wards, and silencing charms. When they were satisfied that their conversation would remain private, they made themselves comfortable in the chairs.

"Ron and Harry know that we're in here. They'll be waiting for me out in the hall after lunch," she told him.

"You really don't trust me, do you?"

"Blaise, you saw the bruises. I can't really afford to trust you right now."

He nodded.

For a few minutes they didn't say anything, unsure of where to start.

"Why don't you ask the questions, and I'll answer them as best as I can," Blaise said, finally.

"Okay. What happened to me over Christmas?"

Blaise opened and shut his mouth a few times, a pained expression on his face.

"Alright, let's start with something easier. What are you?"

He snorted.

"A wizard."

Hermione gave him a look.

"I am a wizard. I just happen to go through a transformation once a month."

"What do you transform into?"

"A dragon."

It had been the answer that Hermione was expecting, but it still shocked her.

"So, were you bit by a dragon or something?" She asked once her brain unfroze.

He laughed at that.

"I'm not a 'were-dragon'. It's not a disease, and it's not… contagious, for lack of a better word. It's hereditary. Most of the men in my family are this way."

"Just the men?"

"Yes, but not all of them. The transformations don't start until puberty, so we don't know 'till then if we're affected or not," he said causally.

"How awful," Hermione commented, shuddering.

"But it's not. It's really the coolest thing that's ever happened to me. I'm so strong, Hermione. I don't get sick anymore, and I never bruise. And the transformations don't hurt at all."

"They just itch?" She asked him with a smirk, and was pleased to see him blush.

"Yes. They also make me very hungry," he admitted.

"What about when you're a… dragon? Do you keep your mind? Is that what you take the potion for?"

He took a minute to gather his thoughts before answering.

"The potion gives me control, so that I won't change form if I lose my temper or something. I don't have to wait for the full moon to change into a dragon. I guess it's more like an animagus form or something. I can control it, except for the nights of the full moon. Then, I have to change."

Hermione wished she'd had thought to bring some parchment and a quill.

"When I'm in my dragon form, I'm still me. I have my own thoughts and everything; I'm just in the body of a huge beast. And I can fly," he grinned.

It struck her that Blaise really enjoyed what he was, and probably looked forward to the full moon each month.

"And breathe fire?"

"Yes, and as you've probably guessed, I don't have to be in my dragon form to breathe fire," he said, sheepishly.

"Is that what happened with Malfoy on the train?" she asked.

"I didn't mean to burn him, I really didn't. But when I finally got through the door, you looked like you were dead, and that scared me. I hadn't had my 'control' potion in a few days, and well you can guess what happened."

Hermione giggled.

"He deserved it," she said.

Blaise looked at her sharply.

"He didn't mean to hurt you, Hermione. Draco was under strict orders from his father, to scare you. Breaking your arm had really been an accident."

Hermione felt bad for her earlier words.

Draco had always said very mean things to her, Harry, and, Ron, but he'd never tried to physically hurt them. And if his father really was as controlling as she thought he was, then it was entirely possible that Draco didn't hate them as much as he let on.

"I didn't think he meant to do it," she admitted.

"Next question?"

"Um, what did you do for Christmas? I mean, you were on the train on the way back, but where did you go?"

"The night after you left, I changed form, and flew home."

"That's it? You just went straight home and stayed there until yesterday?"

"I did not fly straight home."

He motioned with his hands as if trying to persuade her to continue that line of questioning.

"Where did you go?" She asked curiously.

His eyes widened and he bit his lip.

"Okay, I get it. Um, did you go to the Malfoy's?"

"Yes!" He cried jumping up.

He blushed and then sat back down.

"Sorry, I didn't think I'd be able to tell you that so I overcompensated."

She smiled, but continued with the questions.

"How long were you there?"

"A day."

"Was I there?"

"Yes."

Hermione felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. She had been at the Malfoys, and didn't remember it!

"Did I arrive before or after you?" she whispered.

"Before."

"Did you know I was there? Is that why you went?"

He nodded.

"Who hurt me?"

He shook his head.

"Was it Draco?"

"No."

"Who was it?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Why? What happens if you do?" She demanded, getting upset.

"You don't understand. The magic binding me to the oath physically prevents me from speaking their name," he explained.

Her jaw dropped.

"But that's, extremely dark magic!" She cried.

"I know. I was dealing with extremely dark wizards," he said, simply.

Hermione sat back in her chair with a sigh, and tried to reign in her whirling thoughts.

Blaise remained silent, giving her the time she needed.

"Why did you take the oath?" She asked, finally.

"It was the only way they would let me take you home," he seemed surprised that he'd been allowed to say that.

"When you say 'they', do you mean Death Eaters?"

He nodded, solemnly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically.

"Harry was right. It's always about him," she muttered.

"Speaking of Potter, how much do he and Weasley know about all of this?" Blaise asked.

Hermione debated whether or not to be completely honest with him.

"They think you're some kind of were-dragon, and they want me to be careful around you. They also think you might be responsible for what happened to me."

At first he looked angry, but then he sighed in resignation.

"I'd probably think the same things if the situation was reversed," he admitted.

"How did you know I was at the Malfoy's?"

"You called me to you."

Hermione gave him a look of confusion.

"What? How?"

He sighed again.

"I'm not sure how you did it. I was just on my way home, when I heard your voice in my head. You were screaming for me, and I knew you were in pain."

He stood up and started pacing in front of her.

"How did you know where I was?"

He stopped, and looked her directly in the eye.

"I asked you, in my head, where you were. And you told me."

A loud banging at the door startled them both, and Hermione realized that lunch must be over.

"What are they trying to do, break down the door?" Blaise asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"One last question. You said that you didn't know how you were able to hear me, but has it happened before? If not to you, then maybe to one of your male relatives who are, uh, like you?"

"Yes, it's happened to all of them."

"What do…"

Blaise held up a hand to stop her, and reached for his bag.

Hermione watched him pull out a very old-looking leather journal.

He just stared at it for a moment, and then held it out for her.

When she reached for it, he pulled it back.

"This is a journal that has been passed down through seven generations of my family. It has everything we know about the transformations and the side effects. It's very special to my family and me. I'm only letting you borrow it, because I know that you'll take good care of it."

"I promise I will," she swore, unable to keep the eagerness out of her voice.

She took it from him, reverently and slipped it into her own bag.

Then she turned toward the door where she could hear the muffled sounds of bangs and curses.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"I know why I could hear you, and I'd tell you now, but I don't think you'd believe me. I guess I'm hoping that seeing it in writing will convince you."

He looked very nervous.

"Okay. So, I'll look over it, make some notes, and…"

"No! You can't write anything about us down! It's my family's secret, Hermione. I had to get permission from them to even show you this," he said, gesturing to the journal.

"They're letting a complete stranger have access to their deepest secrets? Why?" She demanded.

"Read it. You'll understand."

Together they released the wards on the door, and Harry and Ron came falling in. Hermione and Blaise watched them in amusement as they got to their feet and tried to look nonchalant.

"Are you, uh, ready for charms Hermione?" Ron asked.

Hermione looked at Blaise, and then down at her bag that contained the journal.

"Actually, I'm a little tired. I think I'll go to McGonagall and get permission to rest for the afternoon," she said.

Harry and Ron looked shocked, while Blaise laughed and started down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked him.

"The kitchens. We didn't eat, and I'm starving!"

End Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks again for all of the wonderful reviews. The next chapter you'll find out exactly what is going on with Blaise. As for Hermione's 'Holiday' that will be explained in chapter 14.

-Kassandra


	7. Chapter 7

The Dragon of Hogwarts

Chapter 7: Mates

It took all of Hermione's patience to get through History of Magic class. Professor Binns was especially boring today, and not even keeping Harry and Ron awake was enough to distract her.

She really didn't intend on skipping any classes today, but she didn't see how she was going to be able to force herself not to. The journal in her bag was practically screaming at her to open it, but she didn't dare do it in a room full of people.

A crumbled up piece of parchment hit her in the head, and she glared at Harry and Ron who were trying to hide their laughter.

Sighing heavily, she straightened out the paper to read Harry's note.

_You seem tense. What did Zabini say?_

Hermione took a minute to think about what to write. Normally she wouldn't participate in such blatant rule breaking right under the teacher's nose, but she was bored and needed a distraction.

_He said a lot of things. We were right about what we thought he was. Sort of. I promised I wouldn't write anything about it down, so I'll have to tell you later._

She used her wand to send it back to Harry, and grinned when it landed in his ear.

A few minutes later, the paper was headed for her ear. She pretended like she didn't notice it until the last second when she snatched it out of the air.

Professor Binns gave her a look, but she just shrugged apologetically and he went back to his lecture.

_Did he hurt you? Does he know who did?_

Hermione sighed.

_It wasn't him. He knows who did, but he had to take an oath that physically prevents him from telling anyone. Harry, he saved me, I'm sure of it. I don't know who hurt me, and I don't know why yet. Blaise is one of the good guys. We can trust him._

She was careful to make sure that the note slid quietly onto his desk, not wanting to attract anymore attention.

It came back to her in much the same way.

_Do you love him?_

Hermione looked up and met Harry's eyes, startled.

He raised an eyebrow, and she shrugged.

_I care about him. And I trust him._

* * *

As soon as class was over, Hermione practically ran to the Transfiguration classroom.

Professor McGonagall was putting equations on the board.

"Is there something you need, Miss Granger?" She asked.

Hermione wondered what to say. She didn't like lying, especially to her Head of House.

"Well Professor, I need… uh, some things have happened recently, and I need time to…" she stopped with a sigh.

"I want to skip my last two classes, and I have no good reason to give you," she mumbled, looking at the floor.

The silence was heavy as she felt McGonagall studying her.

"Very well, Miss Granger. Go on up to your room, and I'll inform your teachers that you're not feeling well."

Hermione looked up in surprise.

The Professor gave her a pitying look, and shooed her out of the classroom.

As Hermione made her way back to the dorm, she got the distinct impression that McGonagall knew something that she didn't.

* * *

Hermione made herself comfortable on her bed, and pulled out Blaise's journal. It was very hard to not take notes, but she'd promised him that she wouldn't.

The hours began to fly by as she immersed herself in Damien Zabini's, Blaise's Great Grandfather, research.

For the most part, it echoed what Blaise had already told her. Only, it was much more detailed. There was no way to determine if a male Zabini baby would be a dragon shifter, as Damien named it. It was only after puberty before the symptoms began.

Super strength, an intense resistance to being bruised or abraised and an enormous appetite were the most common signs. For the first six months, it was extremely difficult to control the transformations, and any strong emotion could bring on the change. There was a special potion that prevented them from shifting fully; therefore helping them to retain some control. Intense emotion, while on the potion, only resulted in a few physical changes such as eye and skin color.

However on the three nights of the full moon, all bets were off. Potion or no potion, they would shift into their Dragon forms, and take to the skies.

As Hermione read Damien's description, she could almost imagine herself up there with him.

She was shocked to learn that though they were mostly invincible; they were very vulnerable during the time it took to transform back to human form. During that small space of time, it was very difficult for them to think or speak coherently. The dragon shifters became overwhelmed with hunger, and once full, they slept. It was also very dangerous to be around them during that time, as they had trouble tolerating anyone around them, but their mate. There was a severe warning that no one but their mate should attempt to touch them, until they had completed the change.

"Mate?" Hermione asked aloud with a sinking feeling.

A knock on the door made her look up. Blaise stuck his head in.

"Can I come in?" He asked, hesitantly.

She studied him for a moment.

"Why are you asking now? You never have before."

Blaise shrugged, and looked down at his shoes.

"I'm not sure how you feel about me now," he admitted.

"Because of the 'mate' thing?" She asked him.

His gaze met hers.

"So you know, then."

"No, not really. I haven't got very far yet. Can you give me a little more time?" She asked.

"Yeah. I'll be in my room, when you're ready to talk," he said, and shut the door.

Hermione sighed and rubbed her eyes.

She had two hours before dinner, and she wanted to be done with this by then.

The next several pages just elaborated more on the changing, and the potion. She took a minute to memorize it so that she could make it herself if the situation ever called for it.

Finally she found the section on mates. Hermione had to read the thing four times before it really began to sink in.

_Dragon shifters only have only one mate, and it's for life. Once the bonding has taken place, it can never be undone. The mate's life is tied to that of the dragon shifter's, and should one die the other will quickly follow. Even before the bonding, the dragon shifter and his mate may share certain abilities including but not limited to telepathy and empathy. _

That explained how Blaise was able to 'hear' her. Did that prove that she was his mate?

Her head was pounding now, and part of her wanted to shut the book and forget everything that she'd read. But her desire to know more pushed her on, and she finished the passage.

_Once the dragon shifter has recognized his mate, he has one year to bond with her. If the bonding does not take place during the year, the dragon shifter will have passed up his chance for love, and family. He will be impotent for the rest of his days, and no one, not even his mate, will be able to ease his suffering._

Hermione felt tears sting her eyes, and this time she did shut the book. She lay face down on her bed, and cried. She sobbed out her frustration at how confusing her life had become. She was angry that she had no control over this, and for the first time since she had come to Hogwarts, she wished she was a muggle. Someone who could be oblivious to all of this mess, go to school, and fall in love without worrying about any magical consequences.

"Okay, Hermione, get a grip!" She growled to herself.

She sat up and furiously wiped away her tears. It was time to think about this logically.

Blaise couldn't help what he was anymore than she could. According to this journal, they were meant to be together. If she bonded with him, they had a chance at true happiness. If she didn't Blaise would never be happy, and Hermione had to admit that she'd never be happy knowing he was out there miserable somewhere.

So she would bond with Blaise. There wasn't any description of what the bonding actually required, but she was sure that it involved sex.

The thought of having sex with Blaise was not in the least bit repulsive to her. And the more she thought about, the more excited she got. She cared for Blaise a great deal. She might even love him, and even if she didn't, it probably wouldn't be all that hard to do so.

He had heard her in his head over the holidays. That meant they had almost an entire year before the bonding had to be done. There was plenty of time to graduate first, and slowly insinuate him into her life.

Hermione got out of bed, and stretched. With a small smile playing on her lips, she made her way to the bathroom. She took extra care with her face and hair, before deciding she was ready to face him.

Blaise was in his room, eating while reading from a book in his lap.

She entered the room without knocking and sat beside him on the floor.

He put away his book, and looked at her, expectantly.

"I'm not going to pretend like I'm thrilled about this. But the idea is not repulsive to me. I care about you, Blaise, and I'd do almost anything to help you out. I don't think that I'm in love with you just yet, but I think I could be. So, yes, I'll do it," she said, smiling at him.

His sigh of relief made her giggle, and he pulled her to him so that she was sitting in his lap.

"Thank you, Hermione. I just… thank you," he said, and lowered his lips to hers.

She was overcome by a sense of rightness, as his lips moved gently against hers.

No, this really wouldn't be such a bad thing at all.

He deepened the kiss, tilting his head and parting her lips with his own. She moaned as he caressed her tongue with his, and moved her arms up around his neck.

She gasped in surprise, and pulled away when she felt his hand slide up under her skirt to stroke her inner thigh.

"Blaise, not yet," she panted, sliding off of his lap and getting to her feet.

"When then? We don't have a lot of time," he said, looking up at her in confusion.

"What? We have a whole year."

"Actually, we have nine months. I realized you were my mate when I saved you from Draco on the train," he informed her.

"Okay, so nine months then. What's the hurry?" She asked.

"Well, it probably won't happen the first time…"

"What?"

"Hermione, did you read about how to bond with me?"

"I… no. I just assumed it meant sex," she said blushing.

He sighed in exasperation.

"Then you don't even know what you agreed to do. Go read some more," he said, turning his back on her.

"No, I want to hear it from you!" She cried stomping her foot.

"Fine. Bonding with me does mean sex, but it's not complete…official, until you conceive."

Her jaw dropped in shock.

End Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks again for reviews. I know ya'll are anxious to see the new chapters, I'll have them out soon. Until tomorrow…

-Kassandra


	8. Chapter 8

The Dragon of Hogwarts

Chapter Eight: Shocked Out

"A baby?" She asked, in disbelief.

"No, a kitten. Yes, a baby," he snapped.

She glared at him.

"You're not helping."

Hermione's head was pounding again. It hurt so badly, that for a moment she thought she might be sick.

She slowly walked over to his bed, and gently lay down, being careful to not jar her head.

Blaise stopped pacing, and looked at her in concern.

"Hermione? You don't have to do this," he told her.

She blinked up at him.

"I can't think right now, my head hurts," she confessed.

He walked over to her and placed a hand on her forehead.

After a few minutes, he pulled his hand away and glared down at her.

"When was the last time you ate?" He demanded, and she got the impression that he already knew the answer to that question.

"I had some toast for breakfast…"

"You have to take better care of…"

"No. You don't get to lecture me about this!" she cried sitting up.

"I've had a lot of shocks today," she went on, defensively.

He held up his hands in surrender.

"Okay, let's just go to dinner. We can finish this later when you've had time to think."

She nodded, and then winced at the pain that made her feel like her head was splitting in two.

"We have the staff meeting tonight. I was planning on telling Professor Dumbledore about what happened to me," she said, massaging her temples.

Blaise opened his mouth as if to say something, but just shut it again and shook his head instead.

"Let's go."

* * *

Hermione didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or scream as she surveyed the faces that were looking expectantly at her.

The Headmaster looked hopeful, while Professor McGonagall looked sympathetic. Professor Snape was scowling at her, and Blaise was looking at the floor.

"So, you already know everything?"

"Yes, my dear, have you made a decision?" Dumbledore pressed.

"I, I don't… uh…"

She wanted to run, but they were all standing between her and the door.

Hermione glanced desperately at Blaise, but he still wasn't looking at her.

Just when she thought she'd faint from stress, Professor Snape cleared his throat.

"Perhaps Miss Granger should see Poppy about her injuries," he commented as if he were bored with the whole thing.

"Miss Granger, it would certainly put our minds at ease if you told us your decision first," Dumbledore encouraged.

She felt anger surge through her at that.

"You've known that Blaise and I are mates and that I was kidnapped and tortured over the holidays for weeks now and didn't feel the need to tell me anything! And, you want me to put your minds at ease?" She demanded, her voice turning shrill.

The looks she was receiving now were a mixture of guilt and concern.

"No, I think it's past time I got this taken care of," she sneered, lifting her shirt just enough to expose her black and blue stomach.

Dumbledore flinched, and McGonagall gasped in horror.

Snape just rolled his eyes.

"If we are done here, I have lesson plans to finish," he said.

"I'll walk you to the hospital wing," Blaise said, moving to take her arm.

She stepped away from him.

"I need to be away from you for a little while," she told him quietly.

He frowned, but stepped back.

McGonagall sniffled, and Dumbledore sighed.

Snape gave them all a disgusted look.

"I'll take her. Come along Miss Granger," he said, and walked out the door before anyone could protest.

Hermione sent one last glare to the Headmaster and hurried after Snape.

The Potion's Master never said a word to her as they walked to the infirmary. He didn't even stop walking or acknowledge that she was there when they reached the door.

"Gee, Thanks Professor," she said, spitefully.

He just kept walking, black robes billowing out behind him.

* * *

Poppy was horrified at the sight of her battered body.

Hermione was stripped down to her underwear, and pushed into a bed. The nurse then left for the dungeons in search of Snape. So much time had passed since she'd received her injuries that Hermione had to take a special potion before Poppy could begin healing her.

Hermione sighed and tried to make herself comfortable. It was very warm, and as she was the only one there, she allowed the thick blanket to fall to her waist.

Exhaustion from the day's events finally caught up with her, and she drifted off.

Her dream was a sweet one. She was lying on a blanket in the middle of a forest. It was a lazy afternoon, and the warm sun was streaming through the trees. Blaise was there, playing with Jason. She smiled at the sound of her brother's giggles as Blaise tossed him in the air and caught him.

The door to the infirmary slammed open, and she came awake with a start.

"Madam Pomfrey? I tried that cream, but it…" Draco broke off with a gasp when he saw her.

Hermione quickly pulled the blanket up over herself, but he'd already seen everything.

She glared up at him, bracing herself for the torment he was sure to unleash.

Hermione was surprised to see him turn and run away.

A few seconds later she could hear him retching from the bathroom across the room.

What was it now? Couldn't she have two minutes of normalcy today? It wasn't enough that she was mated to a dragon shifter, and would have to have a baby in the next year! No, she had to run into Draco Malfoy who was acting completely out of character.

"Are you okay?" She asked him as he walked unsteadily out of the bathroom.

He was shaking slightly, and had gone paler than normal.

"I should be asking you that," he mumbled, as he slowly made his way toward her.

She raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

"I feel fine," she said.

He gave her a skeptical look.

"No really, I'm under a pain vanishing spell, and as soon as Poppy returns with the potion she needs she'll heal me. I'll be fine."

Hermione wasn't sure why she was trying to reassure him, but it looked like he needed it.

He just stood there, staring at her while absently rubbing his arm. It was unnerving.

"Just what are you doing here anyway?" She asked.

He blinked and then pulled back his sleeve to show her his arm.

She gaped at the angry welts.

"How did that happen?"

His eyes narrowed.

"Your boyfriend did it on the train," he sneered.

She sighed and leaned back onto her pillow. She was too tired to even pretend to be shocked by something else today.

"Well, no cream or potion is going to work. He's the only one who can heal the wounds he causes," she informed him, closing her eyes.

"Look, I said I was sorry for breaking your arm, and I haven't said or done anything to you, Potter, or Weasley since. It's been five months, can you get him to heal it for me?" he whined.

She opened her eyes, and studied him for minute.

"I'll ask him to do it, Malfoy, but I can't promise that he will."

Before Draco could respond, Poppy returned and shooed him out.

"Is it a good idea to encourage Mr. Malfoy when you're mated to someone else?" Poppy asked, and Hermione nearly choked on the potion.

"Is there anybody in this castle that doesn't know?" She demanded.

The nurse just smiled at her.

An hour later, Hermione was as good as new, and she felt much better.

Before she left, Poppy informed her to stop by Friday after classes for a physical.

"What for?" She asked, confused.

"Well, we need to make sure that you're nice and healthy before you get pregnant, don't we?"

Hermione ran all the way back to her dorm.

She was not surprised to find Blaise waiting for her in the common room.

She felt a warmth flood her at the sight of him, and suddenly her whole predicament didn't seem so upsetting anymore.

He looked very nervous, and his nails were bleeding because he'd bitten them so much.

"That's a nasty habit, you know," she said, and began walking to her room.

"Hermione…" he began, but she talked over him.

"You'd better break that habit before the baby comes," she called over her shoulder.

They fell onto her bed when he pounced on her.

Hermione melted into his kiss, and stroked his tongue with her own when it slipped passed her lips.

She was startled by a splash of wetness on her cheek, and her eyes flew open in surprise.

Blaise was crying.

She held him close, and he clung to her, burying his face in her neck as his body shook with silent sobs.

One of her hands stroked his back while the other ran through his silky hair.

"You really didn't think I'd do it," she murmured in awe.

He didn't say anything, just pressed closer to her.

Several minutes passed before he was able to lift his head.

She wiped away his tears, and brought his head down to hers for another kiss. It quickly turned heated, and she could feel him hard against her thigh.

Hermione gently but firmly pushed him away.

"We're not done discussing this yet. But, I wanted you to know that I will do it," she said.

He smiled at her, and then lowered his mouth to her ear.

Hermione groaned as he nipped and licked his way down to the hollow of her throat.

"Blaise? I don't think I'm ready to do this tonight…" she trailed off as he latched onto her collar bone.

"Did Poppy heal you?" He asked, and she noticed the small gold flecks that had suddenly appeared in his eyes.

"Yes, and that reminds me. Don't you think it's time you healed Draco? It's been five months."

"No."

"Why not?" She asked.

"He broke your arm."

She sighed in exasperation.

"It was accident."

"You want me to heal him?" He asked, thoughtfully.

"Yes."

"I'll heal him, if I can see you," he said, finally.

"See me what?" She asked confused.

"You said Poppy healed you. I want to see," he said, tugging on her shirt.

"Blaise, I'm not ready…"

"We won't. Not tonight anyway. I just want to see you."

"And, you'll heal Draco if I let you?"

"Yes."

"Okay," she agreed, and swallowed nervously.

He smiled at her again.

She raised her arms and allowed him to pull her shirt over her head.

He began running his hands over her naked skin, as if he had memorized where every bruise and scratch had been.

Hermione was mesmerized as she watched his large, rough hands glide over her smooth skin.

Blaise moved his hands up her body and stuck his fingers under the band of her bra, then slid them around to her back.

She gasped as he unhooked the bra, and pulled it away from her.

Her cheeks flushed as he gazed hungrily at her breasts.

The embarrassment quickly left her when he covered them with his hands, and began to gently caress her.

Hermione moaned and arched into his touch, gasping as he took a nipple into his mouth.

It became too much for her, and she pushed him away again.

"Okay, Blaise. You've seen," she said, panting.

He claimed her lips once more before reluctantly crawling off of her bed.

She grabbed a pillow, and hugged it to her chest as she sat up.

"When?" He asked her.

She didn't have to ask what he was talking about, because she was thinking the same thing.

"Um, Poppy is giving me a physical Friday night, maybe this weekend?" She asked.

He nodded, and leaned down for one last kiss.

"Goodnight, Hermione," he said.

"Goodnight, Blaise," she called back as he left the room.

She got out of bed and pulled on a nightgown. Her mind reeling as reality began sinking in. What was she going to tell Harry and Ron? What was she going to tell her parents?

Hermione stared at her reflection in the mirror, and stretched the gown out at the waist. Even if she got pregnant right away, she'd only be about four months along when she graduated. Surely she could hide it until then.

But then what? Blaise had never mentioned anything about marriage. She'd have to bring it up. Her parents loved her and would support her no matter what she decided to do with her life. However, they would be extremely disappointed if she had a baby out of wedlock. She wondered what Blaise's parents thought of the situation? Had their situation been similar?

Hermione dropped the gown, and sighed in frustration.

These were all major things that needed to be discussed, before they bonded.

She'd draw up a list tomorrow, and try to find some time to go over it with him before the weekend. They'd also have to let Dumbledore know.

Hermione determinedly pushed everything out of her mind as she crawled into bed.

Even so, sleep was a long time coming.

End Chapter 8

A/N: Only 5 more to go until the new one!

-Kassandra


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I had a few complaints about this chapter last time. I almost changed it, but decided to leave it as is. If you are at all offended by the slightest bit of homosexuality, this chapter may not sit right with you. There is a reason this story is rated M.

The Dragon of Hogwarts

Chapter 9: Wednesday

Something seemed to change between Hermione and Blaise as the week went on. It was Blaise's fault. He flirted with her shamelessly, no matter who was around. At first Hermione was embarrassed, but as she looked around for the reactions of her fellow students she saw no surprise. The looks they got were usually amused, but sometimes they'd be envious or annoyed. It finally occurred to her that, because of the rumors earlier in the year, everyone assumed they'd been together for a while already. She saw no reason to correct that assumption.

Hermione sneaked a glance at Blaise, who was holding her hand as they walked to the Great Hall for breakfast Wednesday morning. He did things like that a lot. Hold her hand, throw an arm across her shoulders, and play with her hair. He'd even started sitting with her at the Gryffindor table during meals.

Again, there were no shocked or surprised looks the first time he'd sat down beside her. Harry and Ron had glared, but everyone else had either smirked or rolled their eyes. No one really cared.

They sat down to breakfast and several of her fellow Gryffindors said good morning to Blaise. He'd been easily accepted, and she was proud of her house as a whole for welcoming him.

This particular morning Ron and Harry had an early Quidditch practice and had not yet made it to breakfast.

"Have you decided what to tell Potter and Weasley?" Blaise asked as he piled scrambled eggs onto his plate.

Hermione sighed as she buttered a piece of toast.

"I'd like to just tell them the truth," she admitted.

"Then do it. Just…" he trailed off.

"Just what?"

"Look, I know you're not thrilled about all of this, but it might not be a bad idea to let them believe that this is what you want."

"Well, I do want, uh, I mean… Oh, I'm only eighteen I couldn't possibly know what I want! But I do know what I'm going to do," she said, smiling.

He smiled back.

"I just think it will be easier for your friends to accept if they believe you want this."

She gave him a calculating look.

"Why are you so concerned about what Harry and Ron will think about this?" She asked.

"Because you need them. You love them and you need their support, or you won't be happy."

Hermione forced herself to continue eating. Sometimes it was disconcerting how well he knew her.

"Speak of the devils," Blaise muttered as her two sweaty best friends plopped down across from them.

"G'morning," they mumbled and began stuffing themselves.

Hermione wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Um, guys?" She asked.

She noticed the heavy bags under their eyes as they looked up at her.

"You two look exhausted. Haven't you been sleeping?" She demanded.

"We were up late doing homework, and up early for practice," Ron said, defensively.

Hermione felt a pang of guilt at not being there to help them manage their time better. It was a ridiculous thought, but it bothered her nonetheless.

"We'll get in bed earlier tonight," Harry promised, as if he knew what she was thinking.

The four of them suddenly got very quiet, and Hermione looked up to see a Harry and Blaise in what looked like a staring contest.

After a few minutes Blaise laughed and shook his head.

"Give it up, Potter. You can't get in unless I let you," he smirked.

Harry looked unnerved.

"What?" She asked them, confused.

"Nothing dear," Blaise said, and resumed eating.

Ron and Harry gave him a look at the 'dear', but said nothing.

"Okay. Well, I was wondering if you guys had a few minutes to talk after classes," she asked.

Harry and Ron looked at Blaise.

"No, he won't be there. There's something we need to discuss, just the three of us," she reassured them, and squeezed Blaise's hand under the table.

They nodded and agreed to meet her in the Room of Requirement that afternoon.

A little while later she said goodbye to Ron, and walked with Blaise and Harry to Potions.

"I'll heal Draco tonight, if you still want me to," he said, as they settled themselves at their work station in the classroom.

"Oh, yes that would be good," she answered looking at the blond a couple of tables away.

"Draco?" Blaise's voice called out.

When he turned around, Blaise motioned for him to come over to them.

Draco shuffled his feet as he walked, looking like he was headed for his own execution.

"Yes?" He asked, looking intently at the floor by her feet.

"Come by our dorm at eight o'clock tonight, and I'll heal your arm," Blaise told him.

Draco looked up, relieved.

"Thank you," he said, meaning it.

"The password is 'burn'," Blaise called as the blond started back to his seat.

Draco's gulp was audible, and Hermione had to cover a laugh with a cough.

"That was mean," she said to her partner, and almost gasped when she saw the way Blaise was looking at him.

"You're not going to eat him, are you?" She asked, suddenly regretting her decision to get Blaise to heal him.

Blaise turned to her and winked, his eyes were that eerie gold-green color again.

"Depends on how hungry I am," he said with a chuckle.

Snape chose that time to make an appearance, so she'd have to wait until after class to question him.

* * *

Blaise had effectively avoided her all day, and now Hermione was frantically searching for him. She had to get him to promise not to hurt Draco before she met with Harry and Ron. 

She hurried to their dorm, hoping he'd be there. He was.

Wearing only a pair of jeans, he was sprawled out on the floor reading a book.

He looked up when she came in and smiled at her blush.

"I thought you were meeting your friends now," he said, getting to his feet.

"I am, I just… Do I smell candles?" She asked walking past him to peek in his room.

She gasped in shock. Candlelight bathed the green room in a romantic glow, and Hermione swallowed at the sight of the satin sheets and hangings on his bed.

"Do you plan on healing Draco, or seducing him?" She asked, a delicious shiver running up her spine at the images that statement invoked.

He shrugged.

"A little of both," he admitted.

She turned to him with a gasp.

"What? I was kidding," she said.

"You're going to be late to meet your friends," he reminded, gently pulling her out of his room and shutting the door.

"Blaise," she began, but stopped as he suddenly grabbed her arm, and pushed up the sleeve.

He held up a finger in front of her face, and she watched in horrid fascination as his nail began to grow before her eyes. A minute later, it was no longer a nail, but the unmistakable talon of a dragon.

She hissed, as he lightly ran the talon along her arm, just hard enough to break the skin.

Slowly, he lowered his mouth to the small, fresh cut.

Even though she braced herself, Hermione still let out a small cry at the intense pleasure that shot through her entire being as he lapped at the wound.

When he pulled back, she saw that there was no mark left on her arm.

She looked at him through eyes half-closed with desire, and he pulled her close for a kiss.

Her hands ran all over his naked chest, and she could feel him working on the buttons of her blouse.

A sudden pounding on the door, brought them back down to Earth.

"Hermione, are you in there? We've been waiting ages!" She heard Ron's voice on the other side.

Blaise groaned, and pushed himself away from her.

"The weekend can't get here fast enough," he muttered.

Hermione ran to the door, and stuck her head out.

"Sorry guys, I'll be there in ten minutes," she said, and shut the door in their faces.

She hurried back over to Blaise.

"Is Draco going to feel like that when you heal him?" She demanded.

"Yes."

"Why are you doing all this?" she asked, gesturing toward his bedroom.

Blaise smiled at her.

"Draco Malfoy is homophobic, and I want to mess with him," he said.

Hermione gaped at him.

"Are you, uh, attracted to him?"

Blaise gave her a look.

"You are my mate, Hermione, always. Draco is just fun to mess with. Tell you what, if you can get back here a little after eight you can catch us and maybe join in on the fun," he said.

Hermione tried to look outraged at his suggestion, but had to admit that she'd never been more turned on in her life.

Unable to speak, she stiffly nodded, and left to meet Harry and Ron.

* * *

Hermione was in a hurry to get back to her dorm, so she decided to be as direct as possible with Harry and Ron. 

"Okay, here's the deal. Blaise is a dragon-shifter, it's a hereditary thing and I can't tell you everything about it because it's a family secret," she said.

"Then why did he tell you?" Harry asked.

"Because I am his mate."

Their jaws dropped.

"Every dragon-shifter has one mate, and once they find her they have a year to bond," she explained as if she was tutoring them on a school subject.

"And if they don't?" Harry asked when he regained his ability to speak.

"Let's just say it's not good for the dragon-shifter."

"What, does it kill him?" Ron asked.

"No, but pretty close to it."

They didn't say anything.

"Look, guys. I love Blaise, and I'm going to do this," she proclaimed, lifting her chin.

Ron sighed, and then nodded.

"So, you're going to bond with him. Does that mean you have to sleep with him?" he asked, sounding much older than he was.

"Sort of," she said, not meeting their eyes.

"What else?" Harry asked in a hoarse voice.

"The bond isn't complete, until I'm pregnant."

Hermione wouldn't have been surprised if the shouting that followed shook the whole castle.

There was much yelling and many tears in the minutes that followed. Finally, Hermione sat down on the sofa between them, taking one of their hands in each of hers.

"I know you don't like this, and I have to admit it's not how I'd pictured my life to be, but I'm not unhappy about it. In fact I think it's rather exciting. There's just one thing that frightens me. I don't want to do this alone," she confessed.

Ron pulled her to him, and she allowed her tears to fall on his chest as his strong arms encircled her waist. A minute later, she felt Harry rubbing her back in a soothing manner.

"You won't be alone, Hermione. Not as long as Harry and I are alive," Ron whispered.

Hermione pulled back and wiped her eyes.

"Thank you," she said to Ron then turned to Harry who hugged her.

"Hey Ron, we're going to be uncles," he said over her shoulder, and Hermione laughed.

* * *

It was almost half past eight before Hermione returned to the dorm. 

She was exhausted from the emotional roller coaster ride of the past few weeks, and had completely forgotten about Draco.

Hermione walked into Blaise's room.

"They took it better than…" she gasped.

Draco and Blaise were in his bed, naked from the waist up. Draco was flat on his back, holding his injured arm against himself, while Blaise was sitting, cross-legged beside him.

"Hello, Hermione," Blaise called over his shoulder, then turned back to study Draco.

Blaise looked perplexed.

Hermione cleared her throat, and walked over to them.

She looked at Draco, who looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"I think I'd rather just keep the burn," he said, and tried to sit up, but Blaise easily pushed him back down.

"I promised her I'd heal you, and I keep my promises," he growled.

"What's the problem?" She asked, placing her hands on Blaise's shoulders.

"He's ticklish. Every time I try to heal him, he pulls his arm away. I nearly broke it last time I tried."

"Hmm. What can I do to help?" She asked, half-wondering what Blaise was up to.

She leaned her head down so he could whisper in her ear.

The smile she gave Draco when she straightened made him gulp in fear.

She felt a thrill rush through her at the fact that the arrogant Malfoy heir was at their mercy.

Hermione nodded at Blaise, and climbed up on the bed and sat on the other side of Draco.

Blaise grabbed his arm, and got ready to heal him, while Draco turned wary eyes to Hermione.

"What are you going to do?" He demanded.

She smiled again, and lowered her face very close to his.

"Distract you," she said, then moved her lips to his ear, and blew.

Draco shivered, then cried out and pulled her against him with his good arm.

Hermione gasped, and looked over at Blaise, who was lapping at the wound with great care.

Draco was able to maneuver one of her legs between his, and she felt him hard against her thigh.

"_It's all right, my love. He will not hurt you_," she heard Blaise's voice in her head.

Hermione allowed herself to relax as Draco thrust himself against her leg.

A few minutes later Blaise was finished.

He sat up, and pulled Hermione away from Draco, claiming her lips in a searing kiss.

When they came up for air, she looked down at Draco, who was breathing very hard with his eyes tightly closed.

"He's fine, now. All healed," Blaise said.

Draco groaned, and sat up shakily.

He studied his now blemish-free arm, and then looked up at them.

"Thanks," he muttered, then quickly pulled his shirt back over his head, and stumbled off of the bed and out of the room.

Hermione crossed her arms across her chest, and glared at Blaise.

"Did you know that would happen?" She demanded.

"I thought as much," he answered, carefully.

"That was…" she thought desperately, but couldn't come up with an appropriate adjective.

Blaise sighed.

"I'm sorry, but you're the one who wanted me to heal him," he pointed out.

"Heal him, yes. But I didn't…"

"I can't heal without invoking a sexual response. When I first started healing him, he freaked, Hermione. He was absolutely terrified that I could make him feel that way. With you there, he could let go because you're a girl," Blaise explained.

"You mean he fancies me?"

"Well, he probably does now, but like I said earlier he's homophobic. It's not really his fault. His dad's a bastard, and he tends to physical beat certain ideals into him."

Hermione suddenly felt sick.

Blaise pulled her to him, and she snuggled into his chest.

"Don't worry about Draco. He'll be fine. You did great, and hopefully we won't have to do anything like that again," he said, running his fingers through her hair.

"Draco seemed to really like it," she whispered.

He regarded her thoughtfully.

"Well, if you…"

There was a loud thud on the window.

"What the… Oh, it's Tinker Bell," he said, quickly opening the window.

A small owl flew in, and perched on the headboard of the bed.

"Tinker Bell?" She asked, amused.

He actually blushed.

"My cousin named her."

He untied the package from around her leg and grinned up at Hermione.

"She sent it!"

"Who sent what?"

"My mom. She sent my Great-Grandmother's ring,"

He proudly held out the platinum band with the solitaire diamond.

Her breath caught in her throat as he knelt on the ground before her.

"Hermione Jane Granger, Will you marry me?"

End Chapter 9

Thanks for the reviews!

-Kassandra


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: This chapter earns the M rating…

The Dragon of Hogwarts

Chapter 10: The Bonding

Friday came like any other day, though Hermione carried the weight of its significance with her all through it. She bathed and dressed, like usual, and left her room to find Blaise waiting to walk her down to breakfast. Again, like usual.

She expected him to say or do something to remind her of the fact that they would be having sex that night, but he didn't. On the way to the Great Hall he only asked her opinion on an idea for their potion project.

They sat down at the Gryffindor table, and Hermione cautiously studied her friends out of the corner of her eye. But they too, acted as if nothing was different. Of course, Harry and Ron had no idea that she would be losing her virginity tonight, and she had no intention of telling them.

She forced herself to relax and eat. After a few minutes, she even started participating in the conversations going on around her.

Blaise's hand found hers under the table, and she had to suppress a small shiver of excitement.

All too soon, it was time to head to class. As they made their way out of the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall called out to her.

"I'll see you in Arithmancy," she told Blaise, and waded through the sea of students toward her Transfiguration teacher.

"Yes Professor?" She asked.

The old woman's eyes glittered mischievously.

"Miss Granger, Please come by my office after classes today. I have something for you."

"I have a physical with Poppy after classes," she informed her.

"Oh, that's right. Well, come by after that then."

"Yes Professor," she said, and then hurried to her first class.

* * *

&&&

The day seemed to fly by, and Hermione was a little concerned by the fact that none of her teachers assigned any homework. Surely they didn't all know about her and Blaise's weekend plans… did they?

She pushed the disconcerting thought from her mind and headed to the infirmary.

Over the next half-hour, Hermione proceeded to undergo a type of torture she'd never known about. She had been stripped naked, forced to lie flat on her back on an uncomfortable table with her legs spread and held up by stirrups while Poppy poked and prodded her with cold instruments. It wasn't really that painful, just humiliating, and very uncomfortable.

To make it worse, she had to listen to the nurse prattle on and on about sex.

"Okay, Miss Granger, you can get dressed now," Poppy said, finally.

Hermione sighed with relief, and gratefully slipped her uniform back on.

She then had to drink seven different potions.

"For fertility," Poppy said, handing her the first vial.

As she made her way to Professor McGonagall's office, she felt decidedly queasy, and hoped that the feeling would pass.

No such luck.

McGonagall had gotten her a gift. Lingerie.

Her queasiness turned to full-blown nausea, and she shuddered at the knowing wink her Head of House gave her.

When Hermione finally made it back to the dorm, she collapsed on a sofa and threw her arm over her eyes.

"Hermione?" Blaise asked sounding concerned.

She sighed.

"I need to rest a minute, Blaise. I've had a rather trying afternoon," she said, not moving her arm.

Blaise lifted her feet then sat down and put them in his lap.

He removed her shoes then plucked at her stockings.

She hitched her skirt up enough so that he could see the tops of her thigh-highs, and bit back a moan at the feel of his warm hands sliding up her leg. He slowly pulled them off, allowing the tips of his fingers to trail along the bare skin of her leg.

Hermione moved her arm so that she could see what he would do next. The nausea had vanished at his touch, and a tight knot of tension now sat low in her belly.

He held out his hand, and she placed hers in it. She gasped when a slight tug from him sent her sprawling against him.

She pushed herself up, and he helped her settle in his lap with her legs straddling him.

He kissed her then, the heat of his lips almost scalding and she jerked back.

"Too hot," she said with a frown, and he shut his eyes in concentration.

Blaise kissed her again, and this time it was still hot but not painfully so.

He parted her lips with his tongue, and moved his hands to her face caressing her cheeks.

Her hands pulled at the front of his shirt, and she heard a thread break when she gave it a hard tug.

"Hey," he teased, breaking away to pull his shirt over his head before he lost any more buttons.

Hermione's mouth went dry and her hands began exploring his chest. She smoothed her fingers over the contours of his defined muscles, and ran her fingernails through the spattering of soft dark hairs. She felt his stomach muscles contract as her hands moved down his abdomen.

He kissed her again.

Blaise moved his hands to caress down her neck to her collarbone. His mouth left hers to follow the path his hands had taken with his scorching tongue. Meanwhile his hands moved to the buttons of her blouse, and before she could blink, it had joined his shirt on the floor.

His eyes began changing color at the sight of her white, cotton bra, against her tanned skin.

Blaise ran his hands up her sides to her bra, and quickly undid the clasp. He dropped the scrap of material to the floor so that his hands would be free to cup her breasts. He tested the weight of them, and then he caressed and massaged them watching her face all the while.

Hermione's eyes closed and her head fell back. Her back arched involuntarily into his touch. She let out a small yelp as his hot lips closed over one nipple. Her hands threaded through his hair to hold him against her writhing body as his tongue ran back and forth across her nipple and one of his hands began drawing circles low on her stomach.

He pulled away suddenly, and stood up. She locked her legs around his waist to keep from falling and he carried her into his bedroom.

After their encounter with Draco earlier in the week, Blaise had returned his room to normal. Now, she was pleasantly surprised to see it all decorated again. Silver and black were the most predominate colors, and almost every piece of cloth was satin. The only lights were soft candles, and Hermione realized he must have put a warming charm on the room, for it was the middle of January and his fireplace stood cold and empty.

Even as dark as it was, Hermione could still see him very well. As he gently set her on her feet, and began removing her skirt, it suddenly occurred to her that she wasn't nervous at all. That was really strange. However, when Blaise slipped off her underwear, and carried her to the bed, all thoughts left her mind.

The cool satin felt glorious on her heated skin, and she propped herself up on her elbows so that she could watch him.

Blaise held her gaze as he slipped off his pants, and then his own underwear.

Her eyes quickly moved to take in his impressive erection, and she licked her lips unconsciously.

He groaned, and crawled onto the bed. He held himself up over her, and then captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Hermione tilted her head and opened her mouth to him. They both groaned as he slowly lowered his body onto hers, touching skin to skin for the first time.

Hermione ran her hands all over his back until, finally feeling brave enough, she slipped them down to grab hold of his butt. When she slipped a hand between them and took hold of him, he started his purring again and she almost laughed.

Blaise gently, but firmly took Hermione's hand off of him and started kissing down her body. Hermione gasped and clutched the sheets with her hands as he ran his tongue across her abdomen, swirling it in her belly button.

He pushed her legs up, bending her knees and opened them to his gaze. Hermione was reminded of the physical she'd had earlier, and was about to tell him to stop when she felt his tongue touch her.

The pleasure was so intense, she almost screamed. Her head tossed from side to side and she felt his fingers join his mouth. It wasn't long before that tight knot in her belly burst and she felt like she was flying on the dragon in her dream again.

She must have blacked out; because she opened her eyes a few minutes later to see Blaise stretched out beside her absently stroking her hair.

When he saw she was awake, he pulled her on top of him, and started raining kisses all over her face.

"I'm sorry, my love, but this is going to hurt," he whispered.

She stared into his eyes that had turned green-gold.

"I know, it's supposed to hurt the first time," she said.

"Yes, but even more than that. I'm a bit bigger than other guys, and because of the specifics of the bonding I can't be as gentle with you as I want to."

She blinked at him, waiting to feel fear but none came. She trusted him.

Hermione nodded her assent, and Blaise quickly flipped them over so that he was on top.

He lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered, "Just keep remembering how good it felt a few minutes ago. Once this next part is over I swear I'll make it up to you."

He kissed her again.

"All weekend," he added.

He pushed her legs opened again, and his hand resumed its earlier position between her thighs. His fingers were stretching her, almost to the point of pain.

Then he removed his hand, and positioned himself at her opening.

Hermione shut her eyes, and braced herself. She was surprised to feel his lips on hers again, gently engaging her mouth in a distracting kiss.

Her eyes opened, and she looked at him questioningly.

"Just relax," he whispered against her mouth.

Hermione forced herself to relax, and put all of her attention on his lips.

When he entered her, it was sudden, and though she was expecting it, she still cried out in shock.

Blaise was softly chanting something in what sounding like Gaelic, as he worked his way into her.

He hesitated when he reached her barrier, and kissed her again.

He swallowed her shriek of pain, as he buried himself all the way into her.

Hermione felt something rip inside of her, and tears stung her eyes.

His whole body was tense as he held completely still, continuing his chant.

She stared into his eyes, which were now colored with swirls of gold, green, and blue.

Hermione let go of the sheet she'd been clutching, and began running her hands over his back and sides. She pressed her fingers harder into his skin and was rewarded by feeling some of the tension in his muscles leave under her ministrations.

He ended his chant, and kissed her again. She stiffened as he began moving, but then his fingers found that special spot between her legs, and the pain was suddenly pushed aside by an intense wave of pleasure.

She matched him thrust per thrust and soon felt herself flying again. As she came down, she watched his face. His eyes were tightly shut in concentration as he pounded into her. She reached up and took his face in her hands, pulling him down for a kiss.

He suddenly pulled away from her, throwing his head back. With an inhuman growl, he gave three final thrusts, and Hermione felt the heat of his essence fill her.

At the precise moment he filled her, she felt a bond flare into life between the two of them. It was as if a channel had been cut between their souls, allowing a bit of her to seep into him, and a bit of him into her. It was like a blinding white heat that roared inside her and exploded in a flash of heightened awareness.

Suddenly she could _feel _him. There was a new warm space deep within her being that was Blaise. She knew that he felt content, and grateful that he had found her. She knew that if she wanted to she could talk to him there in that space, without speaking.

"_Blaise?" _she thought at him, and was almost immediately assaulted by a wave of exhaustion.

"_I can hear you,"_ he replied in her mind.

"It's very tiring to communicate that way, until you're used to it," he whispered and rolled over, pulling her against him.

It was more than telepathy, though. She could send and receive thoughts, pictures, feelings, and ideas.

Hundreds of questions popped into her head, but the exhaustion won out and she soon felt herself falling asleep.

"You should rest up," Blaise said, kissing her head.

"You're going to need it to get through this weekend."

End Chapter 10


	11. Chapter 11

The Dragon of Hogwarts

Chapter 11: The Day After

As wonderful as the weekend had been, Monday was awful! It seemed to Hermione as if everyone in the entire school knew that she and Blaise had had sex. Of course that wasn't the case at all. Some of the teachers knew, along with Harry and Ron, but no one else did. If any of the other students noticed the absence of their Head boy and girl this weekend, they didn't comment on it.

Hermione knew that she was blushing as she sat down with Blaise to breakfast. She hadn't wanted to come down, but Blaise had pointed out that they'd have to face everyone eventually and might as well just get it over with.

"Everyone knows," she whispered to him.

He grabbed her hand beneath the table, and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"You're just being paranoid, no one knows."

His warm breath tickled her ear, and she shivered at his touch.

"McGonagall knows. And so do they," Hermione said gesturing to Harry and Ron.

Other than the requisite 'good morning' her two best friends hadn't said much.

Blaise glanced up at the Head table and grimaced when the Transfiguration Professor winked at him.

"Well, who cares? It's not their business, it's ours," he said, then turned his attention to his plate.

He didn't release her hand though, and Hermione was grateful for that.

She soon forgot her embarrassment though. Picking at her food, she watched Blaise out of the corner of her eye. Her tongue came out to wet her lips as she watched him eat, remembering the feel of his mouth on her. She barely suppressed a moan, and soon Blaise was leaning over to whisper again.

"If you keep looking at me like that, everyone will know because I'll have to take you right here on the table."

A stab of desire shot through her at his words and she had to bite back another moan when he placed her hand against his arousal.

A squeak sounded from across the table, and they looked up to see a very flustered Ginny.

"I dropped my fork," she explained, then got up and moved down next to Lavender.

Hermione snatched her hand back, and turned her most intense concentration on what remained of her scrambled eggs.

She could hear Blaise laughing under his breath, and couldn't help a small smile herself.

All too soon it was time for classes.

"See you at lunch," Blaise said, and casually dropped a kiss on her mouth.

Hermione heard Lavender gasp behind her, and did her best not to react.

Parvati grabbed her arm, and started pulling her out of the Great Hall.

"Sorry guys, girl talk," she heard Lavender say to Harry and Ron, before taking her other arm.

They walked quickly away from the throng of students, and pulled her into an empty hallway.

"So it's true? You and Blaise are really an item?" Parvati asked eagerly.

Hermione groaned mentally, and tried to shake free of their grips.

"I don't really want to discuss it right now," she said, hoping that the two biggest gossips of the school would leave it alone.

She should have known better.

"Ginny saw you feeling him up under the table during breakfast," Lavender said, ignoring what Hermione had said.

Parvati squealed.

"Oh, Hermione! Have you done it yet?" She asked.

Hermione opened her mouth but no words came out.

"Of course she has. Look at her," Lavender pointed a finger at her, "I knew the minute she walked into the Great Hall that she'd had sex."

Hermione's jaw dropped, and she froze in shock.

"I don't look any different," she protested hoarsely.

Lavender looked at her as if she had forgotten Hermione was there.

"Of course you don't 'look' different. I can tell because I have the 'sight'," she said, smugly.

Hermione took that moment to break away from them.

"We'll continue this conversation later!" Parvati called after her as she dashed to Charms.

"I can hardly wait," she muttered under her breath.

* * *

The day toiled on endlessly. Hermione had never been so distracted in her life. If she wasn't thinking about Lavender and Parvati and what they were spreading around the school, then she was thinking of Blaise and all the things she wanted to do with him.

Her thoughts drifted to her baby brother, and she put a hand to her stomach.

Could she be pregnant yet?

She was so consumed by that question that she skipped Care of Magical Creatures class to visit with Poppy in the infirmary.

"I wondered how long it would take you to come and see me," the old nurse said.

Hermione almost immediately regretted going to the Hospital Wing, as she was again subjected to a physical, and no, she was not pregnant yet.

"Looks like you'll have to keep trying," Poppy commented, with a wink.

Hermione gave her a strained smile then hurried toward lunch.

Blaise was already eating, and he looked up at her in concern.

"You would not believe the things I've heard today," he said as she sank down beside him.

"What things?" She asked, as sense of dread in her stomach.

"I heard you were in the hospital wing because you were pregnant. Are you?"

He looked very calm, but Hermione could feel the anticipation coming off of him in waves.

"Not yet," she said, and nearly choked on his disappointment.

She leaned against him, and started rubbing small circles on his back.

"We knew it probably wouldn't happen right away," she pointed out.

Blaise nodded and leaned into her touch. She smiled when he started softly purring, and jumped when Harry and Ron suddenly sat down across from them.

"Well?" Ron asked.

Hermione didn't have to ask what he was talking about. If Blaise had heard the rumor then he and Harry had probably heard it too.

"I'm not pregnant," she said, flatly.

It amused her to see both of her friends blush and look away.

"Oh really. It doesn't usually happen right away," she turned to Blaise, "we have plenty of time. Please don't be upset."

The look in his dark blue eyes was so unsure the she couldn't stop herself from giving him a reassuring kiss.

"Do you have to do that at the table?" Harry groused.

At first Hermione was embarrassed by her action, but then she saw that the sparkle had returned to Blaise's eyes and she was glad that she'd kissed him.

* * *

"Hermione, wake up," Harry said in a loud whisper as he poked her in the arm with a quill.

"Ow, what?" She asked with a yawn.

"You slept through History of Magic," Ron informed her with a grin.

Hermione set up straight, her eyes widening in horror.

"Oh, no! Did you take notes?" She asked him anxiously.

Ron snorted.

"Yeah, after six months of not taking notes in this class, I finally decided to start today," he said, sarcastically.

"It's not like you haven't read all about the lesson yet anyway," Harry pointed out.

Hermione gave him a look.

"Fine, I'll just borrow Blaise's," she huffed and started gathering her things to leave.

She looked down at the parchment that she'd been sleeping on, and was amused to see that she'd written Hermione Zabini all over it.

That amusement quickly fled, however, when she heard a gasp of shock.

She turned her head to see Lavender looking over her shoulder and reading her doodles.

She quickly stuffed the parchment in her bag, and turned to face the gossip queen, ready to deny everything.

"You're engaged!" She said with such conviction, it raised the hair on Hermione's arm.

She opened her mouth to deny this, but just like earlier in the day, no words would come. Hermione was a horrible liar, and had spent so many years doing anything to avoid it that she just couldn't think of one. Besides the answer was written all over her face, and a couple of people turned to stare at her.

"Show me the ring," Lavender demanded, and Hermione reluctantly pulled the necklace she'd been wearing it on out of her shirt.

A couple of other girls gathered close to see the ring, and Hermione felt a flush of pride at hearing their ecstatic approvals.

She glanced over at Harry and Ron to see what they thought of this, but they just looked bored.

"Hermione, we're going to be late for potions," Harry whined.

Hermione stuffed the necklace back in her shirt, and got to her feet.

"You might as well put it on your finger. The whole school will know by dinner," Lavender's warning chased her as she walked with Harry toward the dungeons.

Harry stopped her before they reached the final set of stairs.

"You're not the first couple in our year to get engaged. People will probably make a big deal about it for a little while, but it'll die down. You'll see," Harry assured her.

She gave him a hug in thanks, and they hurried to Potions.

She stopped just outside of the classroom, and took of her necklace.

Sliding the engagement ring off, she quickly slipped it onto her ring finger and put the necklace back on.

Straightening her shoulders, she walked into the classroom, and sat on the stool next to Blaise, who was setting up for the day.

No one seemed to notice the ring, although to Hermione it felt like she had a huge sign over her head that said she was engaged.

She turned to ask Blaise about what they'd been working on, and saw that she'd been wrong. Someone had noticed the ring.

And that someone was staring at her with gold-green eyes, that burned with hunger, and not for food.

"Blaise?" She asked uncertain and was hit with answering bolt of lust.

He reached for her, but she stepped away.

"We can't, not here," she whispered.

He turned away from her, and crossed his arms across his chest. She was terrified to see him start shaking, and realized that he was on the verge of changing into his dragon form.

She turned her gaze to Professor Snape, who took one look at Blaise then dashed into his storeroom. A few seconds later he emerged with a potion vial filled with black liquid and handed it to her.

"I don't dare get close to him while he's like this," he explained.

Hermione nodded, and grabbed the vial.

"Blaise?"

He whirled around to face her, and she was surprised to see that his skin was turning green.

"I need you to drink this," she said handing him the vial.

He quickly downed it, and sighed in relief.

However Hermione saw that though he had taken the potion, his skin was still green.

She looked at Snape.

"What are you looking at, get back to work!" He bellowed to the room.

Every student instantly became absorbed in his or her own projects.

Satisfied, Snape turned to her.

"He's too big to change in the castle. Get him to your room before the potion wears off," he commanded, and began to walk away.

Hermione reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

"What do I do with him when I get there?" She asked, anxiously.

"You have to keep him from changing," he hissed.

"And how do I do that?"

Snape gave her a very evil grin, and then bent over to whisper in her ear.

"Fuck him."

* * *

Hermione's face was still burning red as she hurried Blaise up the stairs to their room.

The door had barely shut behind them before he was tearing off her clothes. Standing before him completely naked, a thrill ran through her and the lust she'd felt in the Potion's Classroom returned full force.

He slammed her against the wall, and Hermione felt a flood of wetness between her legs.

His eyes were pure gold now, and the thought occurred to her that she couldn't stop him if she wanted to. That ought to have bothered her more than it did, but at this particular moment she wanted him so badly that she didn't care.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, trying desperately to get closer to him.

He kissed her hard, and ripped off his own pants and underwear, unable to bear it much longer.

Blaise barely had the presence of mind to check with his fingers to make sure she was ready for him before he started working his way into her.

Hermione felt an orgasm rip through her when he finally plunged all the way in, and she cried out at the pleasure.

He didn't last long, and soon they were sliding to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

She held his head to her breast as he fought to get his breathing under control, pleased to see that his skin had returned to its rightful shade.

"I'm sorry," he gasped out, raising his dark blue eyes to look at her.

"I'm not," she whispered, and kissed him.

He pulled back to study her.

"I hurt you," he said, raising a hand to a burn on her chest.

She looked down at it in surprise.

"I didn't even feel it," she told him.

Of course, now that she was aware of it, it started throbbing in pain.

Blaise immediately leaned forward to heal it, but she stopped him with a hand to his chest.

"Take me to bed and do it?" She asked, softly.

He nodded, the green slipping back into his eyes and swung her up into his arms.

Blaise gently laid her on his bed, and crawled on beside her.

He healed the burn on her chest and, even though she insisted he hadn't hurt her there, he moved his healing tongue between her legs.

He brought her once that way, then made love to her properly again before passing out in exhaustion.

Hermione felt wide awake, and glanced at the clock on his wall. It was six-thirty. She and Blaise had been making love for four hours.

She quietly slipped out of bed, and went to her room to clean up.

As she walked to the bathroom, she looked at her bed all made up. She hadn't slept in it since Thursday night.

She briefly wondered what the houselves must think, but shrugged it off.

It really didn't matter. Their secret was out anyway.

A shower and change of clothes later, and Hermione felt like a new woman.

Deciding to go to the kitchens to get food for her and Blaise, she opened her bedroom door, and was surprised to see Ginny waiting for her in one of the chairs in the common room.

The redhead stuck her chin out defiantly and said, "You've got a lot of explaining to do, missy."

End chapter 11

A/N: Only a few more to go…

-Kassandra


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Time to Relax

Hermione told Ginny everything.

She tried to hide it, but Hermione could tell that her friend was hurt at being kept in the dark.

"It all happened so fast," she tried to explain.

The redhead crossed her arms.

"You told Ron and Harry everything," she pointed out.

Hermione sighed.

"I know, but I've always told them everything. Look Ginny, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I'm glad you know because there is something I want to ask you," she said.

Ginny's eyes narrowed, suspiciously, but she looked interested.

"Will you be my Maid of Honor?"

This had apparently been the right thing to say, as Ginny immediately hugged her and began prattling on about wedding plans.

She talked about colors, flowers, and all kinds of things that Hermione hadn't even thought of yet.

"Ginny? Before we start planning, I need you to promise not to tell anyone," she said, firmly.

"About the wedding? It's a little late for that. The whole school knows that the two of you are engaged."

"No, I meant about Blaise's, uh, condition," Hermione said.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't tell a soul," she promised with a smile.

* * *

The weeks passed by quickly as Hermione and Blaise developed a routine. They'd awaken in the morning, wrapped in each other's arms, and then Hermione would jump in the shower. Sometimes he'd join her, depending on how much time they had. They'd share his bathroom as they got ready in the morning, and she couldn't believe how easy it was to adjust to his presence.

Once dressed, they'd head arm in arm to the Great Hall for breakfast at the Gryffindor table. They'd go to their morning classes, and meet back for lunch. Then it was afternoon class time.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Hermione would head straight to the library by herself to get in some quality NEWT study time. Blaise would meet Harry for some type of training or something. Harry had approached her fiancé and asked for help with some defense things that he apparently believed Blaise knew a lot about. The two had never told her anything specific about what it was they did She was just relieved they were getting along.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays Blaise would accompany her to the library, and after a few weeks even managed to get Harry and Ron to come too. Something they'd never done for Hermione, no matter how much she begged.

After studying they'd have dinner in the Great Hall and then return to their room.

Blaise had explained to her that until she conceived, they'd both feel an almost constant urgency to have sex. So they did almost every night.

However the second week of every month, like clockwork, she got her period.

It would be April soon, and Hermione still wasn't pregnant.

Professor Snape and Poppy could often be seen together discussing the latest findings in fertility potion studies. Professor McGonagall kept trying to give her helpful advice concerning positions that Hermione was doing her absolute best to forget. And even Professor Flitwick had handed her a book of special charms to help her out, blushing the whole time.

But the worst part of not getting pregnant was Blaise's disappointment. She really felt like she was letting him down and, because of their link, he was unable to hide his feelings from her.

One evening, Hermione and Blaise returned to their room to find the Headmaster waiting for them.

Hermione hoped that he hadn't come by with any special baby-making advice.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Zabini, I'd like to have a word with you please," Dumbledore said indicating that they should sit down.

They made themselves comfortable, and the old wizard just silently studied them for a few minutes.

"Headmaster, is everything alright?" Hermione asked, unable to stand the silence any longer.

Dumbledore seemed to snap out of whatever daze he'd been in.

"That's actually what I came here to ask you," he answered.

Hermione was taken aback.

"I-I'm fine, Headmaster," she stuttered, not meeting his eyes.

"No, my dear, I don't think you are…" Dumbledore started.

Hermione interrupted him by jumping to her feet angrily.

"It can take several years for some people to get pregnant! Just because it hasn't happened in three months doesn't mean that there's something wrong with me," she shouted in frustration.

"Miss Granger, please calm yourself," he said sternly, though he looked quite amused.

Hermione had the decency to blush.

"I'm sorry, Headmaster," she apologized meekly, and sat back down.

A wave of warm comfort swept over her when Blaise grabbed her hand, and she was able to relax.

"I didn't mean to imply that something was wrong with you, physically, Miss Granger. It has come to my attention that some of my colleagues, though well intentioned, have been adding to your stress and frustration during this challenging time. I merely came by to inform you that I would be excusing the both of you from classes for the first week of April. It would be wise to use this time to visit your families," he suggested, blue eyes twinkling.

"But Sir, the NEWT's…" Hermione began.

"… will still be here when you return," Dumbledore finished, and then stood.

"It is entirely your decision, of course. Just let me know what you'd like to do, and I'll help arrange it," he said and bid them goodnight.

Hermione turned to Blaise who had been silent through the whole thing.

"What do you think?" She asked.

He sighed, and laced his fingers through hers.

"I think it's a good idea. It would probably be better if you introduced me to your parents before you got pregnant anyway," he said, carefully.

"Should we tell them that we're engaged?" She asked, biting her lip.

He pulled her into his arms, his gaze transfixed on her lower lip.

"That's up to you. If you wanted, we could just say that we're dating and wait 'til graduation to tell them about the engagement. Maybe that way it won't be so much of a shock. Especially when you announce that you're pregnant."

Hermione thought about that for a moment and then nodded.

"I just hate not being completely honest with them, you know?"

He kissed her, softly.

"Hermione, you can tell them anything you want. I'll follow your lead."

Hermione kissed him, this time, and then smiled.

"Have I told you how much I love you?" She asked.

"Not today," he grinned.

She kissed him again, and then pulled away before things got too intense.

"What are we going to tell your parents?" She asked, leaning away before he could kiss her again.

He sighed, slightly frustrated.

"They already know everything," he said, and tried to kiss her again, swirls of green and gold entering his eyes.

She put a hand on his chest.

"You told them everything?" She demanded.

He blinked, and the colors receded a little. She was relieved to see he was in much better control tonight than normal.

"I didn't have to. They went through same thing, remember?" He asked, and lowered his mouth to her neck.

"While they were in school?" She asked, biting back a moan when he swirled his tongue in the hallow of her throat.

He pulled back.

"No, but they weren't much older than we are now. They'll be happy about this. My whole family has been dying to meet you since they learned about you," he said.

Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"Just how big is your family?"

He grinned.

"Well, there's Mum and Dad, two sets of Grandparents, Aunt Lillian, and my cousin Dorothy. But those are just the ones that live at my house," he said, holding up a finger as he named each one.

"All of them live at your house?"

"It's a very large house."

"Oh."

He went back to her neck as she thought over all he had said.

"But what…"

He silenced her with his mouth, burning her slightly.

She gasped and looked up at him, her eyes widening.

They both knew his control was slipping, and so she didn't put up a fuss when he picked her up and carried her to bed.

Their lovemaking was hurried, yet gentle that night. And later, as Hermione began to drift off to sleep in Blaise's arms, she had to admit that she had never felt more content than she did in that moment.

* * *

"Are you ready love?" Blaise called out as he entered their bedroom a week later.

Hermione looked up from her trunk, which she had just sealed shut.

"I think I am now," she said absently as she went over her packing list one more time.

He nodded, and levitated her trunk.

"The carriage is waiting," he said.

Luckily, none of the teachers had come to see them off.

She hugged Harry, Ron, and Ginny.

"I'll see you in a week," she said, and was surprised to feel tears stinging her eyes.

"You have fun and enjoy your vacation Hermione, because we you get back, its wedding planning time," Ginny said, seriously.

Hermione gave her a strained smile.

"I can hardly wait."

Blaise shook Harry and Ron's hands and then helped her into the carriage that would take them to Hogsmeade Station.

They took the almost empty train to London, where her parents were waiting for them.

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Granger were very curious about the young man their daughter brought home to them. Blaise turned on the charm thick, and Hermione's parents couldn't help but like him. Even little Jason Granger, who at ten months had just learned to walk, constantly toddled after the blue-eyed Slytherin wanting to play.

Hermione's heart had warmed at the sight of Blaise playing with her brother, and the fact that she and he might actually be parents by this time next year really hit home.

It was almost as if her mother had read her thoughts.

"A baby is a huge responsibility, you know," Mrs. Granger commented, handing Hermione a cup of tea.

She gave her mother a 'deer-in-headlights' look, then calmed herself.

"I know," she replied a bit sullenly as she sipped the tea.

Mrs. Granger smiled.

"You've never been one to shy away from responsibility though."

Hermione smiled.

"Are you pregnant?" Her mother asked without preamble.

She spit out her tea.

"N-no," she answered, trying not to sound too defensive.

Mrs. Granger gave her a calculating look.

"Then what is going on?"

Hermione took a deep breath.

"I'm in love," she said simply and turned her gaze back to Blaise and Jason who were playing blocks in the next room.

The only bad thing about the visit was that Blaise had to sleep on the downstairs sofa, while Hermione was up in her bed. There was no way Hermione would risk sneaking down to him with her parents in the house. It was for this very reason that they decided to only spend a weekend with her parents. His knew their situation, and Blaise was confident that they would have no problem with their sharing a room.

All in all it was a nice weekend. Hermione knew that her mother knew something else was going on but Mrs. Granger hadn't pressed any further, and for that she was grateful.

Soon, the Grangers were escorting them back to the station. She had told her parents that they'd been allowed a weekend visit, but had refrained from telling them of their week-long vacation. They'd be even more suspicious than they were already.

They boarded the Hogwarts Express and settled into their compartment. Hermione leaned her head on Blaise's shoulder and was asleep before the train left the station.

He had to wake her up when the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station.

They got off of the train and Hermione looked at the empty platform.

"How are we getting to your parent's house?" She asked, confused.

He smirked at her.

"I thought we'd fly," he said, shrinking their trunks down so that they were small enough to fit in her pocket.

"Oh, I hate broomsticks!" She whined.

He gave her a look, and started dragging her toward a large opened area on the other side of the train station.

"Who said anything about broomsticks?" He asked, slyly.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. He was actually going to change in front of her! When he said they'd fly, he meant he'd fly as a dragon and she'd ride on his back.

He grinned at her obvious excitement, and motioned for her to wait at the edge of the clearing.

"Don't come 'till I call you," he said, and started walking out into the evening sunset.

Hermione watched him as he stopped about 150 hundred meters away. He hunched over and was suddenly surround by huge swirls of blinding golden light. Hermione had to look away it was so bright.

When she looked back, Blaise was gone. In his place stood the largest, most ferocious looking dragon that she'd ever seen.

_Come to me, Hermione._

Without thought, her feet carried her toward his monstrous form. As she got closer she realized that the only feature she recognized as Blaise were the eyes. The green and gold eyes were the same as his, when he made love to her.

End Chapter 12

A/N: You guys misunderstood me. When I said there were only a few chapters to go, I meant until the new ones started. There will be at least five new chapters, probably more! Now, we will have one more chapter tomorrow night, and then Thursday I'll post a new one. After that, I will try to post weekly. I promise to do my best. Keep the reviews coming.

-Kassandra


	13. Chapter 13

The Dragon of Hogwarts

Chapter 13: The Castle of Zabini

It was so much better than her dream! Riding on Dragon-Blaise's back as they soared through the night sky. Billions of stars twinkled all around her and she giggled like a little girl. It was the first time in her life that Hermione was riding a flying beast feeling absolutely no fear. It was so freeing, and she finally began to understand why Harry and Ron spent so many hours soaring through the sky on their broomsticks. With the fear and dizziness gone, it was liberating!

They'd been flying for about an hour, when Hermione spotted two more dragons flying toward them.

_Don't be afraid, it's just my Father, and Grandfather._

Hermione watched in fascination as the two huge beasts fell into a sort of formation on both sides of she and Blaise.

_Can you communicate with them like you do with me?_

Hermione felt the familiar wave of fatigue that always hit her when she attempted telepathy with Blaise. She swayed a little, and her grip tightened on the scaly ridge that lined his back.

_Don't, Hermione. There will be plenty of time to answer your questions later. Just hold on, we'll be home soon._

At the word, 'home' Hermione felt a flood of warmth from him, and smiled. Blaise really loved his home, and was sure that she would too.

She looked down at the large, dense forest that they were soaring over. Dark shadows moved through the trees, and she shivered feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight.

Ten minutes later they came to a huge empty clearing, and began circling it. Her stomach dipped as they began a swift decent, and her grip tightened further.

Hermione braced herself for the landing, but it was so gentle, she almost missed it. One minute they were swooping toward the ground, the next they landed with a slight bump, and she was sliding off of him.

Her legs ached slightly as she had to support her own weight again. She looked up at Blaise, who was still in his dragon form, in confusion.

"Why did we land here? Where's your house?" She asked.

_Close your eyes._

She obeyed the command, then felt something pull at her navel. The world dipped like she was on a muggle elevator, and her eyes flew open in alarm.

They were in exactly the same place they'd been before. However, instead of seeing a large empty clearing, Hermione was suddenly staring up at a huge castle. It was almost as big as Hogwarts.

"You didn't tell me you lived in a castle," she gasped staring up at it in awe.

_You didn't ask._

The sound of his laughter filled her mind, and she gave him a stern look.

His ferocious snout made it impossible for Blaise to make any recognizable expressions, but she could see the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Before she could ask him what he was up to, a light at the castle caught her eye.

The heavy oak door had been opened, and one of the most beautiful women Hermione had ever seen, began to descend the stone steps.

The woman's pale skin practically glowed in the moonlight. Her shiny blue-black hair was piled on top of her head in an elegant twist, and her gorgeous blue velvet robes had a short train that trailed behind her as she walked.

Hermione felt very plain, standing there with the dragons in her rumpled robes. She nervously tried to smooth down her frizzy locks, but the wind from her ride had made that impossible.

When the woman reached them, her perfect bow lips split into a welcoming smile, and she reached for Hermione's hand.

"You must be Hermione, I am so excited to finally meet you," her voice was deep and melodic, and Hermione detected a slight accent that she couldn't place.

"I am Mariella Zabini, Blaise's mother," she said, clasping Hermione's hand warmly.

Hermione's eyes widened slightly.

Mariella didn't look old enough to be Blaise's mother. She studied the woman more closely, and was able to detect the slight graying of the lustrous black hair. But that was the only indication of her age. Her slender figure and smooth wrinkle-free skin made her look not much older than Hermione herself.

Hermione realized she was staring and shook herself out of her daze.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Zabini," she said, politely.

Mariella gave her a chastising look.

"You are family now, Hermione. Call me Mariella," she gently admonished.

Hermione nodded and gave her a weak smile.

"Well, you must be exhausted from your trip. Come and I'll show you were you can freshen up before dinner," Mariella said, and motioned for Hermione to follow her back to the house.

Hermione glanced at Blaise, unsure.

_Go on. I'll be back later._

Part of her was upset that he was just leaving her like this, but another part just wanted to find a bathroom and a brush.

Her glare informed him that she wasn't entirely happy with the arrangement, but she quickly turned back to Mariella and nodded her assent.

She followed Mariella into the castle, admiring the huge crystal chandelier that hung in the entrance hall.

Hermione was led down a corridor, and let out a gasp at seeing the exquisite tapestries that covered the walls. The dragons depicted were almost life size, but the thing that really caught her attention was that they were moving. It was almost like the paintings at Hogwarts, except that they made no sound, and didn't seem to notice that she was there watching them.

Mariella cleared her throat, and Hermione jumped.

"I didn't mean to startle you," she apologized, "perhaps you could look around later? The rest of the family is very anxious to meet you, and I know you'll want time to freshen up first."

A very delicate way of telling her she looked a mess.

Hermione blushed slightly, and the two continued on their way.

She was shown to a large room that was dominated by a huge king-sized four poster bed draped with green and silver linens. There were unmoving paintings on the walls, thick, plush rugs on the floor, and a moderately sized chandelier in the center of the ceiling. Two green armchairs were placed beside the empty fireplace.

The mantle was filled with framed pictures of Blaise and his family and friends. She was surprised to see one of herself there as well.

After her initial scrutiny of the room, she turned back to see Mariella watching her curiously.

"Is this Blaise's room?" Hermione asked her.

She nodded.

"And, you don't mind if he and I share a room?"

Hermione could feel her cheeks heat up at the question.

Mariella laughed at that.

"Hermione, I love my son very much and, like most mothers, I want him to be happy. That cannot happen if he does not fully bond with you. So, my top priority is to see you pregnant with my grandchild."

Hermione turned even redder and looked away.

Mariella put a comforting arm on Hermione shoulder.

"Blaise has informed us that you are very inquisitive. I promise that tomorrow you and I will sit down and have all of your questions answered. Tonight you should relax, and meet the family."

Hermione nodded feeling relieved and anxious at the same time. She really wished that Blaise was here with her.

As if sensing her thoughts Mariella said, "Blaise and his Father, and Grandfather will be out late tonight. Since Blaise is in school most of the year, they rarely get the opportunity to be together in their dragon form."

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Well, enough talking. Go and freshen up for dinner," she gestured toward a door on the other side of the bed.

* * *

Hermione stood in front of the bathroom mirror eyeing her reflection. 

She looked much better now that she'd washed her face and pulled her hair up into a knot. She'd also changed into some nicer robes, hoping that she'd make a better impression on the rest of his family than she had on Mariella.

There was no way she could compete with Blaise's mother's beauty, but at least she didn't look quite so rumpled and wind-blown.

She shrugged and walked out of the bathroom to see a young girl of about ten jumping on Blaise's bed. Her white-blond hair floated around her head like a cloud as she jumped.

Hermione cleared her throat, and the girl let out a squeak and dropped to her belly on the bed.

The girl gave Hermione an annoyed look as she slid off of the bed and walked over to her.

"You startled me!" She admonished placing her hands on her hips.

Hermione bit back a grin at the indignant little girl in front of her.

"I apologize, but I must say that you startled me as well," Hermione said.

The girl blinked up at her in confusion.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to see anyone jumping on the bed when I came out of the bathroom."

The girl dropped her eyes to the floor, and her cheeks turned a bit pink.

"I got bored waiting for you. Besides, Blaise doesn't care if I jump on his bed," she said, sullenly.

Hermione's eyes narrowed at that but she chose to ignore it.

"Why were you waiting for me?" She asked.

The girl's eyes darted up and to the side as if she was trying to remember something she'd rehearsed.

"I am to escort my new cousin to dinner since you don't know the way," she recited and looked up at Hermione as if anxious for approval.

Hermione smiled and held out a hand.

"I'm Hermione," she said.

"Dorothy," said the girl giving Hermione an exaggerated handshake.

"It's nice to meet you, Dorothy."

Dorothy stared at her for a minute, looking her up and down before finally nodding in approval.

"Blaise said you were pretty," Dorothy informed her in a whisper.

Hermione blushed.

"Perhaps we should go before we miss dinner?" Hermione asked, tentatively.

Dorothy nodded and grabbed Hermione's hand.

In the hall, Hermione found her attention captured once again by the tapestries.

Dorothy watched her curiously.

"Do you like them?" She asked sounding a little anxious again.

"Yes, they're lovely. I've never seen anything like them before," Hermione said, reassuringly.

Dorothy beamed with pride.

"I made them."

Hermione came to a halt and stared down at her in shock.

"You made them?" Hermione demanded.

Dorothy stuck out her lip in a pout.

"Yes, I made them!"

"But, how? I mean, you're not old enough to use magic…"

"I didn't use magic. At least, not on purpose. I just started painting them one day and when I finished, they started moving," Dorothy explained leaning close to examine a sleeping dragon by a cave.

"How old are you?" Hermione asked, still shocked at the talent the young girl possessed.

"I'll be eleven this summer. Then I can start Hogwarts in September," she said, excitedly.

Hermione smiled at her.

"You'll like Hogwarts. It's simply wonderful," Hermione said as they continued on their way.

Dorothy led Hermione to the impressive dinning room. A long mahogany table that could seat about fifty people filled most of the room. Crystal chandeliers lined the ceiling above the table, and an enormous fireplace filled the back wall.

A small group of people was seated around the far end of the table, and they looked at her in expectation as she moved toward them with Dorothy pulling her by the hand,

Mariella stood, and came over to her before they'd reached the others.

"You have a lovely home, Mrs.- er, Mariella," Hermione said.

Mariella smiled and led her toward the others.

"Thank you, Hermione. Now, you've already met my niece Dorothy, this is her mother and my sister-in-law, Lillian McCain," Mariella said gesturing toward the woman who was seated next to her. Lillian's hair was almost as dark as Mariella's, and Hermione noticed that she had the exact same eyes as Blaise.

Hermione nodded politely, and Lillian smiled at her in return.

Dorothy ran to her mother and seated herself in the empty chair beside her.

"These are my parents, Noah and Marcia Rothbury."

Marcia and Noah were a very handsome couple, and Hermione could see with no problem where Mariella got her beauty. They smiled and welcomed her warmly.

"And finally, my mother-in-law, Katherine Zabini."

Katherine Zabini had fiery red hair that reminded her of Ginny, and a smile as motherly and comforting as Molly Weasly.

"I'm sorry you won't be able to meet my husband, David, or my father-in-law, Richard until tomorrow. But as I explained earlier, this time together is very important to them."

They ate soon afterward, and though Hermione got the impression that there were many things Blaise's family members would like to ask her, they refrained.

All except for Dorothy.

"Blaise says you're muggle-born, do you really live with muggles?" She asked, between bites.

"Um, yes," Hermione answered, doing her best to suppress a yawn.

"My dad's a muggle too. He lives in America because my mum-"

"Dorothy!" Mariella reprimanded.

Lillian had gone very pale.

"If you're done eating, you may be excused for bed, if not then stop talking and finish," Mariella scolded.

"Sorry, Aunt Mari," Dorothy said, and giving Hermione a sheepish look, turned to concentrate on her plate.

Lillian and Dorothy left for bed a few minutes later. Marcia and Noah followed after them, so that only Mariella, Katherine, and Hermione remained.

"I apologize for Dorothy's behavior. Her parents have only been separated for a about a year, and I don't believe she fully understands what that means," Mariella said, pouring Hermione a cup of tea.

"That's so sad," Hermione commented.

"They married too young. He's been making a fool of her for years, running around with other women," Katherine said, harshly.

"Dorothy told me that she painted the tapestries in the hall. She's very talented," Hermione said, breaking the awkward silence that had descended upon them.

Katherine smiled.

"We'd thought she was a squib for a while. No magical talent what so ever. Then her parents separated, and she and Lil moved in here with us. She loved to paint, and had shown me some of her work. I bought her some blank tapestries to decorate her own room. The first ones she made were of unicorns. They are lovely; you'll have to see them soon. It wasn't until after she saw Blaise change form for the first time that she painted a dragon one. And we were all surprised to see them moving," Mariella explained.

"Turns out my Granddaughter has more magical talent than most," Katherine declared, smugly.

Katherine and Mariella began asking her questions about her and Blaise's relationship.

At first Hermione was hesitant and shy, but soon found herself opening up about things she'd never discussed with anyone. But these where the only two women who knew exactly what she was talking about.

"What happens to Blaise when he changes back?" Katherine asked.

"Well, he's always very hungry, and he eats almost everything in sight. Then his skin itches him terribly. I always end up scratching him," Hermione said, blushing slightly.

Mariella nodded.

"Dave is the same, I have an ointment that helps a great deal. I'll get you some," she said refilling her teacup.

"Thank you."

"Go on," Katherine urged.

"Well, he eats his fill, and then passes out for the next twelve hours or so," Hermione continued.

The two women raised their eyebrows at that.

"It's rather annoying, actually. He's no good in class, so I have to take extra notes for him…" she broke off when they exchanged a look.

Hermione looked at them in confusion.

"Hermione, have you ever made love to Blaise while he was in the process of changing back?" Katherine asked.

Hermione turned pink.

"N-no."

"Well, that explains it," Katherine said to Mariella who nodded in agreement.

"He won't be quite so helpless if you do," Mariella explained.

"It's also the best time for conception," Katherine added.

* * *

Hermione sighed when she finally shut the door behind her. The clock on the wall chimed four; Blaise would be back soon. 

She was tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep for a week, but unfortunately, she had other responsibilities.

She uncorked the bottle of pepper-up potion, and downed it in one swallow. Hopefully this would keep her awake long enough to do the deed, and then she could sleep.

Hermione went into the bathroom, and changed into the purple satin teddy that Professor McGonagall had given to her a few months ago.

She'd never worn anything like it for Blaise before, and had decided to try it out on the trip. She covered it with a bathrobe, slipped the ointment that Mariella had given her into her pocket and went back into the bedroom.

Blaise had already returned and was seated at a small table in the corner of the room, stuffing his face. He gave her a smile showing off his sharp, elongated teeth. Hermione gave him a small smile in return, hoping that his teeth would be back to normal before they went to bed.

She walked over to him, and started pealing off his shredded clothing, baring his pale green skin to her view.

Taking the ointment from her pocket she opened it, and was pleased to find that it had no scent. She dipped her fingers into it, and then started applying it to the skin of his back.

He quickly turned to look at her, making an odd strangled sound in his throat.

"What's wrong? It's not burning you, is it?" She asked him, anxiously.

He shook his head.

"Cold," he growled.

She got her wand, and cast a quick warming spell.

"Better?"

He nodded.

"It's for the itching," she explained as she massaged it into his skin.

A few minutes later, he finished eating and stood up with a yawn. He pulled her into a quick hug, and then headed for the bed, eyes drooping.

"Oh, no you don't," she said, grabbing his arm and turning him to face her.

He blinked down at her in confusion, but didn't resist when she slipped her arms around his neck, and pulled his head down for a kiss.

Blaise pulled back after a moment, obviously confused. He and Hermione never made love when he was like this. Well, except for that one time when he'd almost lost control during Potion's Class.

"I'm tired," he said, blinking at her sleepily.

"Tough."

His eyes widened at her tone and then his jaw dropped when she stepped back and removed her bathrobe.

Hermione smiled as she saw the tiredness vanish from his face.

It was Blaise who initiated the kiss this time.

Hermione sighed with pleasure as his warm hands sought out the hidden gaps in the teddy so that he could caress her bare skin. The heat from his tongue blazed a trail down her neck, eliciting a groan from deep in her throat.

She entwined her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair, and then down his back to tug at the waistband of his pants. He pulled her tighter against him, and she could feel him growing harder against her belly.

She unzipped his pants and reached inside to stroke him, delighting in each groan and intake of breath he made.

When Blaise could take no more, he swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bed. He stepped back to study her lying in the middle of his bed, flushed with his kisses and caresses. Suddenly, his nostrils flared and he practically dived on her, lips and hands moving over her with a desperation that made her mouth go dry.

He ripped the teddy off of her body, tossing it behind him. Hermione didn't think she'd ever been more turned on in her life.

Soon his pants were gone and he was plunging himself into her over and over. His hand started working between her legs, and she shouted his name as her orgasm crashed over her.

Hermione stroked his back as he spilled himself in her, and then pulled his head down for a deep kiss.

Blaise ended the kiss and rolled to his side, pulling her with him.

She turned so that her back was to his front, and he spooned her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

It didn't take long for him to drift off to sleep, but Hermione held onto consciousness a little while longer. She could feel the warmth of his essences inside of her, and hoped that this time it would work, and their bond would be complete.

Hermione awoke a few hours later and went to the restroom. She had a slight headache and began looking around in the cabinets for some relief. A strange green glow through a crack in the back of a cabinet caught her eye, and she pushed on the wood, surprised to see it move aside to reveal a compartment about the size of a breadbox.

She stared in wonder at the bowl with the glowing liquid, and came to a startling revelation. It was a pensieve. Blaise's pensieve.

End Chapter 13

Did Hermione look in the pensieve? What really happened over the holidays? What part did the Malfoy's play? Who is really behind it all and what is His connection to Blaise? All of these questions will be answered, next chapter...

-Kassandra


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Okay, this is it. No smut, but a lot of questions are answered. Many thanks to my Beta, Emily!

The Dragon of Hogwarts

Chapter 14: Memories

Hermione had never come across a Pensieve before, but through Harry had learned how they worked. Unlike most new and interesting things she came across in the Wizarding world, she did not run to the library to research this one. As interesting as a Pensieve might be, the very thought of removing one's memories seemed very disturbing to her.

She listened to the soft sound of Blaise's snoring. What memory had he wanted to remove? Would it be wrong of her to look?

"Yes, it would," she mumbled, quietly.

She shut the panel on the back of the cabinet with a sigh and went back to bed, headache forgotten.

Hermione lay back down beside Blaise and stared at the dark ceiling.

She spent the next two hours tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

What was in the Pensieve? Could it be the memory of what had happened to her over the Christmas Holidays?

It was that last question that justified it enough for Hermione to slip out of bed and return to the bathroom.

She locked the door with a charm, and turned the shower on. Then quickly made her way over to the cabinet, and removed the false back.

Being very careful, she removed the Pensieve, and sat it on the counter.

Hermione looked over her shoulder at the closed door one more time before turning back to the stone basin and sticking the tip of her wand inside the glowing bowl. There were three clearly defined strands. Three memories.

Taking a deep breath she touched her wand to the first strand.

She bit back a shriek as she tumbled headfirst into the bowl. Landing on her feet she was surprised to find herself in Blaise's room at Hogwarts. He was on the bed, asleep. A calendar on the wall told her that it was the day she had left for the Christmas holidays. A shiver crawled up her spine.

She was right about which memory she had landed in and part of her was frightened at what she might discover. Was she ready for this?

Hermione gasped when Blaise suddenly sat up in bed, and sniffed the air. He froze and then looked directly at her. But that was silly; the people in Pensieves were just memories, and there was no way he could actually see her.

Blaise suddenly leapt out of bed, and made a mad dash for the door. Hermione felt the world moving around her so that he remained within her sight. It was like standing in the middle of a 3-D projection.

She followed him into her own room, and saw him pick up a photograph off of the floor.

Time slowed down, and then came to a halt as she looked over his shoulder and stared in horror at the picture of her crying baby brother, in the arms of a Death Eater.

Hermione felt like someone had punched her in the stomach and all of the air had been sucked out of her lungs. She tumbled out of the Pensieve and landed hard on the stone tile floor of the bathroom. It took her a few minutes to catch her breath.

Now, she was even more determined to find out what had happened that day. Jason had seemed fine, but what if something was really wrong with him?

Her hand trembled slightly as she touched her wand to the second strand. She was prepared for the fall this time, but not for what she would see…

Blaise was standing in the dimly lit parlor of a richly furnished house. The only light was coming from the small dying fire behind him. His entire body was tense, and he was holding his head sideways as if listening to something only he could hear.

A tall, blond woman suddenly strode into the room. She walked right up to Blaise and said something to him in a hushed voice.

"That is unacceptable..." Blaise began angrily, but stopped when she touched her hand to his mouth.

He glared and stepped around her, heading for the door. When the woman turned to grab his sleeve, the firelight fell across her face. It was Draco's mother, Narcissa.

"My family and I are not responsible for this," she declared, silver eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

Blaise gave her a long look, and then nodded.

Narcissa seemed to relax slightly.

"I gave him to Draco," she said nodding toward a stairway.

"What of Hermione?" Blaise asked.

Narcissa looked down and sighed.

"I have no control over that. You'll have to talk with Him when he returns."

Hermione was pulled to follow as Blaise hurried up a large winding staircase. He hurried down a long hall, and threw open a door near the end.

They entered another dark room where Draco was sitting in a large armchair before another dying fire. He jumped at the intrusion, holding tightly to a small bundle in his arms.

"Let me see him," Blaise practically growled, and the blonde boy quickly handed the bundle over. It was Jason.

Blaise unwrapped the sleeping baby and quickly examined him, but could not find a mark. Jason let out a soft sound of protest at the cool air, but did not open his eyes.

"Severus gave him a potion to keep him asleep. He'll never know anything happened," Narcissa said as she came into the room and stood beside her son.

Blaise gave her a sharp look.

"Muggle or not, we would never hurt a baby," she said, crossing her arms defensively.

"Yeah, as long as his name isn't Harry Potter," he muttered, re-wrapping Jason in blankets.

Her pale skin grew paler still at his words, but she didn't say anything.

"Can't go anywhere without hearing that blasted name," a deep voice said from the doorway.

"Severus, you left her alone?" Narcissa demanded of Professor Snape as he came into the room.

He ignored her.

"Leave the baby with Draco and come with me. He'll return soon, and you should see her before then."

Blaise glanced over at Draco, then back to Snape.

"You're wasting time."

Though Narcissa stretched out her arms to take Jason from Blaise, he pushed passed her and gave him to Draco.

"Hide with him. Don't come out no matter what you hear until I call for you," Blaise instructed.

"I could…" Narcissa began.

"You're coming with us," Blaise said, taking her arm and following Snape from the room.

Hermione wanted to see what Draco would do with Jason, but was helpless to do anything but follow Blaise down the stairs.

This was where the memory ended, and Hermione tumbled out onto the bathroom floor again. She was shaking and weak, but still determined to finish this.

The last memory was of herself locked in cage in the middle of a window-less concrete room. The past-Hermione was lying on the floor of the cage unconscious. Her clothes were torn in places, and it was obvious she had been beaten and probably tortured.

Blaise was standing between her cage, and a small group of robed wizards on the far side of the room. She could make out the faces of Lucius Malfoy and Snape. The others were either hidden under their hoods, or they were faces she did not know.

Lucius Malfoy was fidgeting nervously. He had never resembled his son more than at that moment. His anxious gray eyes fixed themselves to a door on the far side of the room. Hermione got the impression that he was doing everything he could to not look at Blaise.

Snape was watching Lucius. Every couple of minutes her Professor would look at Blaise and slightly shake his head.

Suddenly the door was thrown open and two men walked into the room. Well, one man, and one…Voldemort.

Hermione looked away from the snake-like man, shaken. She had never seen what he looked like before, only knowing what Harry had told her.

Her gaze shifted to the other man. He was an older version of Blaise. Everything from the olive skin tone to the black hair was exactly the same. His eyes were the only real difference that she could see. They were black like Snape's, but seemed to hold a cruelty that even her intimidating professor would be unable to pull off.

Everyone in the room bowed low, except for Blaise. Her mate stood straight and tall, looking his older double directly in the eye and ignoring Voldemort completely.

The Dark Lord's red eyes quickly swept around the room before turning to glare at the man next to him.

"This is not our concern. We will leave Desmond with his nephew to sort this out," he announced, then turned on his heel and left the room. The hooded Death Eaters quickly followed him out until only Blaise and his uncle remained.

"It was an unfortunate mistake, Nephew. How was I to know that the best friend of Harry Potter would turn out to be your mate?" Desmond's voice was barely above a whisper, but still seemed to echo through the room.

"It is a mistake that you can easily rectify, Uncle." Blaise's voice betrayed no emotion.

Desmond's eyes narrowed at the slightly veiled command.

"Not quite as easy as you might think," the older man said with a sneer.

Blaise blinked.

"Let her go. It's as easy as that." This time there was a slight catch in his voice that conveyed his struggle to remain calm.

"You haven't bonded with her yet. Does she even know?"

Her mate's silence told his uncle all he needed to know.

"And do you think she'll forgive this? That she'll want to be with you after this?" He demanded.

"I don't care. I'll not allow her to be in danger a moment longer."

"Let me adjust her memories. She'll remember none of this…"

"No! I forbid you from entering her mind!" Blaise shouted sounding scared.

Desmond smiled a cruel smile.

"Then she'll have to stay."

Blaise turned to look at his mate unconscious in the cage and then back to his uncle.

"I can't… Please Uncle, I can't let you do that to her…" he begged.

Hermione jumped when she felt a hand grab hers and pull her out of the memory.

She felt herself falling, and braced herself for the impact of the hard bathroom floor, but she was caught by strong arms and gathered against Blaise's warm chest.

"Just breathe," he whispered, as he soothingly stroked her back.

He allowed her a few minutes to catch her breath before carrying her back to the bed and gently laying her down.

She automatically reached for him, and he crawled on beside her, wrapping his arms and legs around her tightly.

"I-I didn't mean to…" she broke off, sobbing.

Blaise held her close.

"It's okay. You're safe now, just rest," he whispered in her ear.

Hermione cried herself to sleep while Blaise held her, softly singing to her in a language that she didn't know.

* * *

Hermione awoke several hours later to find Blaise sitting up in bed next to her absently stroking her hair.

"How did you know where I was?" She asked him in a whisper.

"Dorothy can be a bit nosy so I put a ward on the Pensieve."

Hermione nodded and turned her face away so that he would not see her renewed tears.

"You weren't ready yet," he chastised gently as he caught one of her tears on his finger.

"Blaise, I'm sorry. I-"

"No, I'm sorry. I should have told you about the Pensieve. I had planned to go through it with you in a few days. After you met my father," he admitted.

"Your father? I met him last night," she said.

Blaise shook his head.

"You met him in his dragon form. You haven't seen him human yet."

"But why…" she began.

"They're identical twins; he and my uncle. They are alike in appearance, but that is all. In every other way they are as different as night and day. I didn't want you to see my uncle first. My father would be devastated if he frightened you the first time you saw him because of my uncle. I meant to stop you before you even reached that memory."

"What happened after you pulled me out?" She asked.

Blaise sighed.

"I told him that you were my mate, and that I'd never be able to keep anything from you. So, he made me agree to the dark curse that would literally keep my mouth shut. It was the only way he would let you and Jason leave. My uncle called Snape in and cursed me so that I would be incapable of telling you what had happened."

"Snape? But I thought that he was on our side?"

"Snape and my father are very good friends. My uncle needed a witness to bind the magic for the curse, and he let me choose who it would be. Snape is already involved with 'family matters' so my uncle agreed that he would be an appropriate choice. After that I went to get Jason while Snape healed you. At least, I thought he was going to heal you, but I guess he just hid it. He's clever like that. You would have never known if he had healed you, and I would have been unable to tell you."

Hermione took a moment to let that sink in.

"So, your uncle kidnapped my brother to get to me because I am friends with Harry?" She asked finally.

"My uncle is working with the Dark Lord. He isn't a Death Eater though. Uncle Desmond would never lower himself to a wizard's level. He believes that as Dragon-Shifters we are a superior race, even to that of pureblood wizards. It never occurred to him that you would turn out to be a Dragon-Shifter's mate. Up until now, we have never found a mate that was Muggleborn. Your very existence will make him question his ideals. He gave the Dark Lord the idea of using your brother to get to you. What exactly their plan was for you, I don't know. I don't think I want to know. He didn't kidnap your brother himself and he didn't touch you, but he isn't blameless. He has aligned himself with the Dark Lord, but he isn't afraid of him. And the Dark Lord would never turn away someone as powerful as a Dragon-Shifter. The rest of my family support Dumbledore."

"Why? Why is your uncle like that while the rest of your family is not?"

Blaise gave her a sorrowful look.

"He turned fifty last month, and has yet to find his mate."

End Chapter 14

A/N: Well, I hope it was worth the wait. Unfortunately this is where the daily updates stop. I will have chapter 15 up by the end of next week.

-Kassandra


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